The government’s Natural Therapies Review has invited submissions of new evidence to support the reinstatement of rebates for complementary treatments such as naturopathy, homeopathy and yoga.
The move represents a second chance for 16 natural therapies that were excluded from health insurance rebates in April 2019 due to lack of evidence.
Following an outcry from the complementary therapies industry over the ban, Federal health minister Greg Hunt ordered the Department of Health to repeat its 2014–15 review of natural therapies.
In response, the health department set up a Natural Therapies Review Expert Advisory Panel, supported by the NHMRC.
The panel, which includes academics with an interest in integrative medicine, is now inviting scientific evidence to be submitted before 21 February for a first tranche of therapies: