Remedial Massage Associations Australia

Remedial Massage Associations in Australia

If you are a student of Remedial Massage or have recently graduated, you may be wondering if you should join a massage association. If so, this article is for you.

Why Should I Join a Massage Association?

The truth is, the main reason you will need to join an association is that the private health funds such as Medibank, BUPA and HBF require you to be a member of a professional association in order to be registered with them.

What Does This Mean?

It means that if you want to offer private health fund rebates to your customers - you will have to be a member of an association.

Is it Important that I Offer Private Health Fund Rebates to My Customers?

Well, it’s probably not a bad idea. Although a lot of people are dropping their private health cover because it’s costing them too much and no longer making financial sense there are still a lot of people that are covered for remedial massage. Also, people that have private health cover are more likely to be able to afford more regular massages.

What Else Do I Get?

Considering you may be paying up to $400 a year for your membership, you may be wondering what else you get for that money.

The main benefits that are spruiked by the remedial massage associations are:

That’s about it... Some people think it’s a rip off but hey, if you want to offer private health fund rebates, it’s your only choice these days. Some funds may allow you to register with them manually, but it can be a lot to juggle with so many private health funds out there.

What Do I Need to Have to Join a Massage Association?

Which Massage Association is Best?

Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it?

The place you are studying will probably have some kind of affiliation to a specific massage association. When I studied at TAFE in Western Australia, the college was certainly ‘guiding’ us to join AAMT (The Australian Association of Massage Therapists) which has now been renamed Massage & Myotherapy Australia however the chances are that the educators are supposed to be impartial to which association you should join so it would be best to do your own research. You can find a list of the largest associations at the bottom of this page with an indication of their joining fees.

How Do I Join a Massage Association?

The application process is usually fairly straight-forward. You will fill out some forms online, upload all the required documents and pay your membership fees. There will then be a review process and, if successful, you will be notified that you are a member and that your details have been sent to all the major private health funds.

How Long Does It Take Until I Can Process Health Fund Rebates?

Each private health fund has their own schedule for when they add new providers to their systems so it can take up to a month for the association to register you with all of the health funds, that's why it's best to apply as soon as you can if you need to offer rebates.

What are the Main Massage Associations in Australia?

Logo Name Joining Fee Annual Fee Total Upfront Cost
Association of Massage Therapists Logo Association of Massage Therapists (AMT) $80 $205 $285
Australian Natural Therapists Association Logo Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA) $0 $185 $185
Massage Association of Australia Logo Massage Association of Australia (MAA) $0 $370 $370
Massage & Myotherapy Association Logo Massage & Myotherapy Association (MMA) $110 $245 $355

* Details current at time of publication. Fees often change so check with the association directly before applying.