CEO ’ s Report
Charles Wurf | ATMS CEO
At the time of writing , the 2022 Federal Election has just been determined and a new Prime Minister , Anthony Albanese sworn in . In the immediate days after the election the full Ministry is not yet clear , including the Health portfolio which will be of interest to the practice of natural medicine .
ATMS has a clear set of Strategic Goals , and we will continue to pursue those policy objectives with all sides of politics . During the campaign period , ATMS wrote to the major political parties outlining the ongoing policy priorities for natural medicine . ATMS will continue to consistently press these policy outcomes over the life of the new term of Federal Parliament .
The ATMS Natural Medicine policy priorities as put to all political parties , May 2022
The ATMS Vision is A better world through natural medicine .
ATMS is committed to raising awareness of the significant role natural medicine practitioners play in the health and wellbeing of Australians . We do this through our national network of some 9,000 accredited practitioners and our ongoing collaboration with 85,900 followers across our social media platforms .
Our national collaboration culminates in Natural Medicine Week , which ran from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 May 2022 ( www . naturalmedicineweek . com . au ). Natural Medicine Week aims to promote , educate and raise awareness of the important role natural medicine practitioners play in the health and wellbeing of Australians . Natural Medicine Week 2021 totalled 3.9 million engagements over both traditional and social media platforms , and 2022 is on track for an even greater engagement with everyday Australians .
In pursuit of the ATMS Vision the following natural medicine policy priorities need to be resolved in the next term of the Australian Parliament .
1 . The Natural Therapies Review was commissioned in 2018 and has yet to be concluded . The review by the Natural Therapies Review Expert Advisory Panel ( NTREAP ) is of 16 natural therapies which have been excluded from private health insurance pending the outcome . Do you propose to complete the Review , and do you propose to implement the recommendations ?
2 . Once the NTREAP review is completed do you propose to return the natural medicine treatments to their rightful place within private health insurance ?
3 . Chinese medicine practitioners are currently subject to the same registration requirements and provisions as other Allied Health practitioners but are yet to be classified as Allied Health at a state level . Do you support a consistent treatment of all registered health professionals ?
4 . As Chinese Medicine is registered under AHPRA , do you support the inclusion of Chinese Medicine in Medicare MBS and other publicly funded arrangements such as the DVA and Extended Care Plans ?
5 . Manufacturing and sales of supplements in Australia represents $ 5.6 billion which in addition to the contribution from natural therapists represents overall spending of $ 9.6 billion . Proportionally this is approximately 5 % of healthcare expenditure . ATMS supports proportional research funding to be allocated to natural therapy treatments through both the Australian Research Council and the NHMRC . Do you support research funding for natural medicine treatments ?
6 . The natural medicine industry has been adversely impacted by workforce restrictions and vaccine mandates in many states . In a current ATMS workforce survey , 75 % of natural medicine clinics confirmed they have been negatively impacted by COVID and 55 % of natural medicine clinics report they have been adversely affected by vaccine mandates . Can you clarify your position on vaccine mandates in terms of both AHPRA registered practitioners and other natural medicine practitioners ?
Contact us for support
Member renewals for all ATMS Accredited Members and Associate Members were distributed in May 2022 for the year 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 . Member renewals are due on 1 July 2022 , with extended payment terms available through to September .
For any aspect of ATMS membership and health fund administration , contact the ATMS team on 1800 456 855 or info @ atms . com . au . Documents supporting membership and CPE may also be submitted online through the membership portal on www . atms . com . au . We look forward to working with and supporting members throughout the 2022-2023 membership year .
Charles Wurf CEO
66 | vol28 | no2 | JATMS