How to Choose the Best Private Health Insurance for Natural Therapies in 2026
Published December 18, 2025
If you are unsure about what sorts of natural therapies are covered by health insurance and what is not, you are not alone. The government has adjusted the rules surrounding health insurance coverage for natural therapies not once, but twice in the last decade, causing significant confusion over what can and cannot be claimed on an Extras policy. This can make finding the best private health insurance for the therapies you use a difficult task, which is where Utility Market comes in.
Why have the health insurance rules with respect to natural therapies been modified?
The rules for what treatments can and cannot be claimed on health care insurance are determined by the Australian government. In the year 2019, an evaluation carried out by the Department of Health and the National Health and Medical Research Council concluded there wasn’t enough proof for the continued inclusion of 16 natural therapies like reflexology, kinesiology, and homeopathy on Extras Cover. Consequently, the government introduced a rule requiring the exclusion of these and similar treatment methods by any health care insurer. Then came a twist when an evaluation carried out concluded there was enough support for the inclusion of 7 of these on Extras Cover. These include:
- Alexander technique
- Naturopathy
- Pilates
- Shiatsu
- Tai Chi
- Western Herbal
- Yoga
What is the best private insurance available to cover natural therapies?
The key to getting the best health insurance policy for natural therapies is to identify the one that provides the therapies you are likely to utilize, within the budget you are willing to pay. Using the calculator, you are able to search all the Extras health insurance policies available in Australia and pick the services you are looking for from the drop-down list. If the therapies are not available in your list, it is an indication that they are not available through health insurance providers currently available in the market. You are able to compare the policies available to meet your needs by clicking through to review the policies available to you.
Health Insurance Calculator is a quick and simple way of finding the best health insurance without the drama and without the need to login. It searches through every single health insurance policy in Australia without a commercial bias. Because we don’t actually sell health insurance policies, you can trust our results. Use Health Insurance Calculator to find a new policy or compare your policy with others that are presently out there.
Just remember that to qualify for natural therapy cover, it must be carried out for medicinal reasons. For instance, performing yoga just for recreation or health and fitness would not qualify, but for medicinal purposes, such as treating a lower back injury, it should qualify for cover.
If you are comparing private health insurance for natural therapies and want updates on policy changes, coverage rules, and comparison tips, follow Utility Market on LinkedIn. Our team regularly shares insights on private health insurance options in Australia, helping you stay informed and choose cover that genuinely supports therapies like yoga, Pilates, and Western herbal medicine.
