Pilates + Physio: Private Health Insurance reform – Can you still claim pilates? Part 1
You may have recently received communication from your private health insurance provider informing you of reforms being introduced to private health insurance, that will take effect on 1st April 2019. The reforms mean that some natural therapies, along with Pilates have been removed from Extras cover.
We know this may be confusing and difficult to understand for many of our clients, which is why we’ve decided as one of the leading providers of physiotherapy and clinical pilates services to provide clarity around your ability to claim at Pathways Physiotherapy.
Pilates and Physio: What you need to know
Your private health insurance provider may have communicated that Pilates and Clinical Pilates can no longer be claimed using your Extras cover.
Many highly-trained Physiotherapists, including those at Pathways Physiotherapy provide clinical pilates exercises as part of their best-practice management for a variety of spinal conditions such as low back pain and pelvic-girdle pain, as well as part of rehab for a multitude of injuries.
Pilates and Physio: Can you still claim?
The short answer is YES
The Department of Health has made the distinction that trained Physiotherapists are the only practitioners eligible to deliver Pilates-informed exercises as part of treatment, and provided that treatment is individualised, tailored to your health needs, and the effectiveness of the treatment is reassessed each session, you can continue to claim health insurance rebates.
Pilates for fitness, without a full and comprehensive assessment and measurable goals, or without being tailored to your individual needs cannot be claimed.
Pilates and Physio: What about classes?
Nothing has changed and you may continue to claim your health insurance rebate for our clinical exercise groups and classes.
All groups and classes run at Pathways Physiotherapy include exercises individually tailored to you. If you’re looking to join a group or class, you will be fully assessed by one of our Physiotherapists to determine any relevant medical or injury history, your strengths, weaknesses, and any other physical restrictions you may have. Your physio will also work with you to determine your goals, which will be regularly re-assessed throughout the period that you’re working with us.
Your exercises routine will be expertly tailored to you by your physio, and may include pilates-informed exercises along with other strength and conditioning exercises using the extensive equipment within our gym space.
To read more about how private health reform has changed our practice, reach Part 2 of the series Pilates + Physio: How new private health reform has changed our practice for the better
We hope that we’ve answered all your questions related to the new private health reforms, however if you have any further questions, feel free to contact one of our friendly staff on (03) 9752 2368.