Specific Health Fund Updates

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The ATMS Health Fund Report will advise Accredited Members of specific changes relating to individual health funds.

 

Bupa – new agreement

 

ATMS has renewed a new agreement on behalf of ATMS members with Bupa, to commence on 1 June 2016.

There are 2 changes of consequence for ATMS Accredited members who are recognised with Bupa.

 

Bupa – New limitation of 4 practice locations for a recognised provide

 

Effective from 1 June 2016, Bupa have now applied a limit of 4 practice locations for a recognised provider.

ATMS was able to identify from our database those Accredited Members with more than 4 practice locations and we communicated directly with those members in May 2016. Each Accredited Member with more than 4 practice locations was requested to update practice locations to meet this new requirement of Bupa, and all notified changes were made for the commencement date of 1 June 2016.

All future assessments for recognition by Bupa will be subject to this limit of 4 practice locations.

 

Bupa – new minimum of $2 million Professional indemnity insurance cover

 

All members who currently hold Bupa recognition must comply with this requirement by no later than 30 June 2017.

All new applicants or registrants for Bupa recognition must hold a minimum of $2 million professional indemnity insurance.

The following modalities will now be required to transition to a minimum of $2 million in professional indemnity insurance to maintain recognition with Bupa:

  • Aromatherapy
  • Western Herbal Medicine
  • Homoeopathy
  • Kinesiology
  • Naturopathy
  • Reflexology
  • Remedial Massage
  • Shiatsu
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine Massage (An Mo Tui Na) 

Note: Nationally Registered modalities, such as Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine are required to meet the minimum professional indemnity insurance amounts required by the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia.

 

Defence Health (one of the funds with the ARHG) – changed benefits for remedial massage

 

Effective as of 15 April 2016, Defence Health will no longer be paying benefits on Massage Therapy (Cert IV Qualification).  They will only be accepting a minimum qualification for Remedial Therapists (Diploma of Remedial Therapy).

 

Providers can be registered with ARHG for Remedial Therapy if:

 

  • If they hold a HLT qualification (Diploma of Remedial Massage/Diploma of Remedial Therapy) with at least 200hrs Supervised Clinical Practice or
  • If they hold an old Diploma of Remedial Therapy, Diploma of Remedial Massage and can prove they have been registered with an Association prior to 2002 and have held continuous membership since, kept up to date with CPE, First Aid and Insurance. If they cannot prove Association Membership prior to 2002 they will need to upgrade their qualification for recognition with ARHG. 

 

HBF

 

HBF (including GMF) joined ARHG effective 15 Nov 2015. All members are to use the provider numbers as listed with the ARHG.

 

In summary

 

To remain eligible for health fund status you must be a financial member, have copies of all relevant documents as mentioned above.

As an approved Provider you must comply with the terms and conditions set by the health fund(s) as this is a contractual agreement between you and the health fund(s).

Approved Provider Status is at the discretion of the individual private health funds.