We’re celebrating a major milestone for natural healthcare in Australia! 🎉

On April 14, 2025, the Hon. Mark Butler officially endorsed the NTREAP expert panel’s recommendations to reinstate Private Health Insurance (PHI) rebates for Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine.

These rebates were removed in 2019, pending a thorough review of evidence around their effectiveness and value. Since then, the natural health community has worked tirelessly to present quality research, patient outcomes, and practitioner expertise — and now, after years of unwavering advocacy, the rebates are finally being restored! It also recognises the important role that well-trained Naturopaths and Herbalists play in supporting the health and wellbeing of our communities.

A Collective Win

The Complementary Medicine Association is proud to have worked with advocates, researchers and other passionate individuals who have championed this cause over the past several years. Together, we’ve helped ensure that the value and credibility of our profession is recognised.  We are incredibly proud of our member and former President, Kristy Hollis for her tireless efforts on our behalf.

This achievement was made possible through the efforts of so many individuals and organisations who refused to give up on what matters — accessible, integrative, evidence-informed care.

Thank You

To everyone who wrote submissions, gathered data, engaged with government, and kept pushing forward:
Thank you.

This could be a turning point — not only for our professions, but for the people who rely on us. Let’s keep the momentum going.

You can read the Government’s official announcement here.

What is next?

Now that the PHI rules are to be amended (which may take weeks or months), individual health insurers, themselves will need to choose to include Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine in their extras cover. The decision to offer rebates and the timeline for implementation will vary among insurers. We will keep you updated.