Calls to Scrap Alternative Medicine Health Insurance Rebates

Alternative medicine is under the spotlight in Australia, with calls to end private health insurance rebates for any natural healing modalities – rebates that are partly subsidised by the government. Recently on the 7.30 program on the ABC, the story “Should alternative medicines have their government rebate cut?” highlighted a draft report showing no proof that 17 different natural therapies worked, providing a basis for the call to scrap the $164 million dollar’s worth of private health insurance rebates paid out each year to people who embrace alternative therapies.

There were more than a few issues for me with …read more