Since 1 April, Australians have no longer been able to claim a rebate on their private health insurance for natural medicines and treatments such as naturopathy, yoga and Pilates.

The federal government has drawn up a list of natural therapies private health insurers are now "banned" or "prohibited" from funding because the treatments are deemed to be lacking in scientific evidence, reported ABC.net.

However, Private Healthcare Australia chief executive Rachel David said, "In terms of the financial impact on health funds, it's very minimal. These [natural treatments] were not a big source of health plan claims."

The decision to stop paying rebates was made in consultation with stakeholders such as doctors' groups, the federal government and the insurance industry, she said.

The government said the prohibition would "remove costs from the system and contribute to reducing the costs of private health insurance premiums", which a recent survey showed was a concern for 82% of all households.

There are some loopholes, however, through which a claim can be made for some of the treatments. For example, if a patient sees a physiotherapist who incorporates some Pilates techniques into treatment, that is OK — as long as it is not advertised as Pilates.

If a massage therapist uses some shiatsu techniques, a rebate can be claimed only if the treatment is "remedial massage", and not listed as shiatsu.