Please check back for regular updates on this topic.
Update 4th September 2024:
In recognition of Women's Health Week (2-6 September 2024), we are eager to update you on the progress of our Naturopath Advocacy Campaign. This week, Paula Hann (Regional VP Australia & New Zealand) is meeting with 5 senior advisors of key government and opposition ministers of various national health, science and business departments.
This comes as an exciting next step after our submission of the 'Naturopathy Policy Paper' to the Victorian Government's Inquiry into Women's Pain in July, which sets out the extensive evidence base for Naturopathy in supporting preventive health outcomes, with a particular focus on Women’s Health. This is available by request from your Metagenics Territory Manager.
We will continue to keep you updated as we progress on this journey together to raise the profile and recognition of Naturopathy and it’s important role in Australian Healthcare.
Update 26th August 2024:
In May’s Federal Budget, a significant boost in funding was allocated to various activities to enhance preventative healthcare, with a particular focus on women’s health.
Metagenics is leading a comprehensive campaign to advocate for Naturopathy to the Federal Government, highlighting the benefits of Naturopathic services and seeking to increase accessibility for more people.
We are also actively engaging at a State level with the Victorian Government, who launched ‘The Inquiry into Women’s Pain’ earlier this year. This month, we submitted a compelling report highlighting the current role of Naturopathy in managing women’s pain and its potential to contribute more significantly.
In collaboration with professional industry associations, we are focusing on two key policy changes to support Naturopathic services at both Federal and State levels:
- Including Qualified Naturopaths in Healthcare System Reviews, Policy Development, and Decision-Making: Ensuring that Naturopaths have a voice in shaping healthcare policies.
- Promoting the Recent Health Technology Assessment (HTA) by the World Naturopathic Federation: This assessment underscores the substantial and growing evidence base for Naturopathy.
We are also supporting the reinstatement of evidence based Naturopathic services within the scope of private health insurance cover, which is currently under review in the NTREAP process - due by the end of the year.
We have created an Independent Policy Paper based on the HTA, exploring the extensive evidence base of Naturopathy and its potential impact on key Government health priorities, including Women’s Health. This is available by request from your Metagenics Territory Manager.
We continue to promote the mainstream health role of the profession as well as emphasising the key contributions to preventive health and women’s health.
Update from Paula Hann 25th July 2024:
Our mission at Metagenics is to help as many people as possible live happier, healthier lives and our partnership with practitioners is central to achieving this.
With that as our focus, we wanted to take an opportunity to share more detail on Metagenics’ efforts to advocate for the sector, and for you, our valued Healthcare Practitioner partners.
We recognise the significant impact of the removal of rebates for Natural Therapies from Private Health Insurance. Our recent State of the Industry survey revealed that 60% of participants experienced a direct negative impact on their businesses.
To address this challenge and drive a resurgence of patients for the industry, we see two clear opportunities:
- Attracting Government Attention: We believe the naturopathic profession can play a vital role in addressing the current national health crisis. Advocating for its recognition and support is crucial.
- Lift the Embargo on Private Health Rebates: Restoring rebates will benefit both practitioner and patients.
The current landscape presents significant opportunities to advocate for the sector and we wanted to let you know that we are taking measurable steps to drive meaningful conversations in this space, on your behalf.
The 2024-25 Budget highlights women’s health and preventative care as strategic priorities. This provides an excellent platform to engage with the Australian government. We aim to open a meaningful dialogue with key stakeholders, emphasising the positive impact naturopathy can have on real healthcare solutions.
We have been working closely with a leading public affairs agency to develop a position paper that clearly demonstrates the role and vast benefits of naturopathy, while highlighting the significant body of evidence that exists to support the modality in the specific areas of preventative and women’s healthcare.
We look forward to sharing this paper with you all in due course, but for now, our aim is to open up a meaningful dialogue with key government stakeholders, to help raise awareness of the positive impact the naturopathic profession can have on delivering real solutions to the current healthcare crisis, while helping them achieve priority policy outcomes in the areas of preventative and women’s health – and of course driving benefit for the naturopathic profession.
We are proud to be a leading advocate for the natural health industry and we look forward to keeping you abreast of our efforts in this space.
Because together, we can adapt, thrive and build a stronger natural health industry.
Warm Regards,
Paula Hann
Regional VP Australia & New Zealand