Health insurance for acupuncture is included with many extras policies. Compare policies with acupuncture cover from less than $4 a week.
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*Prices updated November 2024, in line with Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices reflect the cheapest available for a single individual with less than $97,000 income and living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
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Key takeaways
Health insurance for acupuncture is included under the natural therapies section of extras cover.
Extras with Acupuncture cover is available from around $13 a month.
The waiting period for acupuncture is normally 2 months, but policies with zero waiting periods are available.
Compare acupuncture health insurance
Here are some extras policies from Finder partners that cover acupuncture. Most also cover a range of other extras treatments, including optical and dental. All prices are based on a single individual with less than $97,000 income and living in Sydney.
Finder survey: What extras are most important to Australians when choosing a health insurance policy?
Response
Female
Male
Acupuncture
0.57%
0.21%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
Finder Score - Health Insurance Extras
Each month we analyse over 10,000 extras insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we end up with is a nice round number out of 10 that helps you compare extras cover a bit faster.
We want to compare apples to apples, not apples to apple pie. It doesn't make sense to compare a top extras policy with coverage for hearing aids and braces against a policy designed only for dental. So we've separated all the extras policies on the market into pools and categories. Once in their pools and categories, each product gets a price score and a features score, which are then combined to give the Final Score.
Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated March 2024, in line with Finder's
database of health insurance policies. Prices are based
on a single individual with less than $93,000 income and
living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
Email me my results (optional)
To get a copy of your results for later, add your email below
You'll pay the same price as going direct - we don't
charge fees
We don't ask for your phone number to see prices
Hang tight - we're fetching policies just for you!
Comparing quotes from 40+ funds...
How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture is a natural therapy, taken from traditional Chinese medicine, that aims to treat a variety of conditions through inserting small needles into the skin. As well as being practiced by specialist acupuncturists, it's sometimes used by physios and GPs. There's some evidence it's an effective treatment for some pain and nausea, but many other claims made by acupuncturists are not backed up by solid clinical evidence.
Acupuncture is claimed to stimulate the nerves, causing the brain to release hormones and other helpful chemicals that help you heal faster and feel better. An acupuncturist will ask you what's wrong and then insert thin needles into the skin at strategic points around the body. They'll place each needle wherever they think it will have the most impact on your condition, drawing from both Chinese medical tradition and Western medical understanding of the nervous system.
What is acupuncture proven to treat?
Despite being considered a natural therapy, there's good evidence to support its effectiveness for some medical issues. According to the Better Health Victoria, here are some of the disorders that acupuncture is proven to treat:
Dental pain
Jaw pain
Controlling nausea after operations and chemotherapy
Additionally, the USA-based NCCIH says that there is some evidence that acupuncture is effective in treating:
Headache
Lower-back and neck pain
Osteoarthritis and knee Pain
"It's important to read the policy conditions for your extras to see whether extras are bunched together and have a combined limit. When I used to be with Medibank which has a combined limit for acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic and Chinese medicine, I soon found that I hit my annual limit very quickly after only two visits each to my chiro, physio and acupuncturist. That's why I'm now with NIB which splits out chiro/physio and natural therapies under separate limits."
Nicole T
Finder crew member
What else is acupuncture claimed to treat?
With a 2,000 year history, acupuncture has had plenty of time for it to be used to try and treat a rank of illnesses and disorders. Many of the claims by acupuncture supporters are based on limit research - acupuncture should only ever complement your existing medical treatment rather than replace it.
Here are a few of the conditions that acupuncturist claim it can help treat:
Asthma
Digestive problems
Arthritis
Migraines
Allergies
Constipation
Anxiety
High blood pressure
Carpal tunnel
Temporomandibular disorder (TMJ)
Here are a few more specific health issues that acupuncture is often used as a natural treatment for.
Acupuncture is often used as a treatment for 'imbalances', which some people say includes obesity and weight loss. There is some evidence to back up claims of acupuncture's effectiveness for weight loss, but the evidence is not particularly comprehensive, owing to poor and inconsistent methodology.
According to Chinese tradition, negative emotions like anxiety and over-worry can lead to imbalances in the digestive organs. An acupuncturist will treat this with the "five point" technique by placing needles in five points in and around your ear. Your ears are said to contain meridian points that affect all regions of your body, including these five related to weight gain:
one point affecting the hunger response
one point affecting the stomach (the main digestive organ)
one point affecting the spleen (connected to the stomach)
one point affecting digestive hormones
one master point affecting pain and addiction
Acupuncture for fertility
Acupuncture is often claimed to be able to increase your chances of conceiving, both naturally and through IVF. However, there is no conclusive evidence to back up these claims.
To promote fertility, acupuncturists will place needles around your legs, lower abdomen and lower back with the purpose of increasing blood flow to your uterus and ovaries. If you're preparing for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), acupuncturists claim it can help to reduce stress, regulate hormones and encourage ovulation.
Acupuncture for pregnancy
Acupuncture supporters claim it can help with a range of pregnancy-related issues like fatigue, morning sickness, aches, pains and swelling. There's a reasonable amount of evidence for this claim. A 2017 study found acupuncture to be effective in preparing for childbirth, while a 2020 study also found that acupressure - a related treatment - was effective in reducing nausea.
Here are some of the ways you might be treated by an acupuncturist during pregnancy:
First trimester. The acupuncturist might work on treatments to help prevent miscarriage, reduce morning sickness and channel nourishment toward the bub.
Second trimester. This is generally considered the "easiest" trimester, so you may just go in for maintenance treatment.
Third trimester. Acupuncture will be used to help your body adjust to all its rapid changes and to help you prepare for delivery.
Post-birth. You can even get treatment after birth to help your body recover from the extraordinary experience that just occurred.
Acupuncture for anxiety
There is some evidence to support claims that acupuncture is effective in treating some symptoms of anxiety. A 2021 meta-analysis found that acupuncture proved effective in treating generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), but that more randomised trials were needed to support its effectiveness in treating other forms of anxiety.
In Chinese medicine, different types of anxiety are said to be caused by a deficiency in one of the yin-promoting organs. Acupuncture will specifically target each one, like so:
Anger. Acupuncture will aim to balance the liver and gallbladder energy.
Worry. Your spleen and stomach will be the target.
Fear. Let acupuncture restore balance to the kidneys and bladder.
Sadness. Use acupuncture to send some qi to your lungs and large intestine.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, some health insurance policies offer a benefit for acupuncture. You'll need an extras policy that covers acupuncture under natural therapies.
Medicare doesn't cover acupuncture treatment unless your doctor performs the procedure during a private consultation. In this case, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate of $21. Acupuncture is also a WorkCover approved treatment.
Acupuncture cover is considered an "extra", so you'll either have to have a standalone extras policy or a policy that combines hospital and extras. If your extras policy includes acupuncture cover, it will usually be under the "natural therapies" section alongside therapies like remedial massage and physio.
Beyond that, here are a few factors you should consider:
Is your practitioner certified? To be covered, your practitioner must have a degree that complies with the Australian Guidelines for Traditional Chinese Medicine Education. This can be a Bachelor of Health Science (Acupuncture) or an overseas equivalent.
Do you have a waiting period? If this is your first extras policy, you'll probably have a waiting period of around 2 months for natural therapies. If you're moving over from another extras policy with similar cover, the insurer may waive your waiting period but is not required to.
Did the acupuncturist prescribe anything else? Your practitioner might prescribe traditional Chinese herbs to go along with your acupuncture, but your policy probably won't cover it.
Do you have combined extras? Some policies have a separate benefit limit for each "extra", for example you might have $1000 worth of cover for extras, but it's capped at $100 toward dental, $100 toward acupuncture and so on. A combined policy will let you spend that entire $1000 on any listed extra you want. So go nuts and drop it all on acupuncture - just avoid getting a cavity in the meantime.
Your policy will most likely pay a percentage of the total bill for each claimable visit and you'll be responsible for the rest. Here are a few ways to get that refund:
Swipe your membership card at checkout. If the practitioner provides this service, you can swipe your card and have the insurer's portion deducted from the total bill. You'll just pay the remainder.
Claim online. You pay the total bill and then hit up your insurer for their portion later. When you get home, just login to your insurer's mobile app or website and follow the prompts to lodge your claim. They'll deposit their share into a bank account that you'd set up with them previously.
Tim Bennett is a Finder insurance & utilities expert. For over 10 years he's reported on news, politics, finance and other topics as a journalist and radio presenter. Tim's roles have included radio news reader and breakfast at the ABC, news producer for SBS and producer for Fairfax Media. Tim regularly appears as a health insurance expert on programs like Sunrise and SBS news, as well as in the Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. See full bio
Tim's expertise
Tim has written 121 Finder guides across topics including:
Brad Buzzard was a content writer at Finder working across insurance including travel, life, health, business, car, pet and home. Brad brought with him a wealth of experience as a journalist, content writer, social media manager and researcher, being in the industry for almost 2 decades by the time he joined. Before working for Finder, Brad’s expertise could be seen across TLC Marketing, Reborn, DDB Group, We Are Social, Nielsen and Wheeling News- Register, varying across Australia and the United States. See full bio
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Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated March 2024, in line with Finder's
database of health insurance policies. Prices are based
on a single individual with less than $93,000 income and
living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
Email me my results (optional)
To get a copy of your results for later, add your email below
