CBHS is a provider of health insurance benefits. This means that CBHS does not recommend practitioners and the choice of a practitioner in any modality is a matter for the member. Likewise, the clinical relationship between member and provider is not one into which CBHS ventures.
The treatment afforded by a recognised provider is a matter between the provider and the member. CBHS does not hold itself responsible for the clinical outcomes of any treatment or lack of treatment by a recognised provider.

CBHS limits itself to the decision to pay or not to pay fund benefits in accordance with the CBHS Health Benefit Fund Rules and government requirements.

Provider Recognition and Medicare Australia
Providers registered with Medicare Australia for services payable under CBHS Extras levels of cover, have a Recognised Provider status with CBHS; therefore a separate application for Provider Recognition with CBHS, is not required. Such services include:

Provider Recognition and Complementary/Alternative Therapies
CBHS recognises many Associations and Boards as meeting or exceeding CBHS' recognition criteria and therefore providers are registered with CBHS through these Associations and Boards.

CBHS recognition criteria:

• Relevant qualifications for the service provided
• Current Professional Indemnity Insurance Certificate of Currency
• Current Senior First Aid Certificate

Also, effective from 1 July 2009 all Private Health Insurance Funds can only pay benefits for services provided by complementary or alternative providers if the treatment satisfies Rule 10 in the Private Health Insurance (Accreditation) Rules 2008.

Rule 10 provides that the standard for treatment is that a complementary or alternative therapy health care provider (amongst others) providing the treatment must be a member of a professional organisation which covers health care practitioners who provide that type of treatment (the profession) and which:

• is a national entity which has membership requirements for the profession; and
•  provides assessment of the health care provider in terms of the appropriate level of training and education required to practise in that profession; and
• administers a continuing professional education development scheme in which the health care provider is required, as a condition of membership, to participate; and
• maintains a code of conduct which the health care provider must uphold in order to continue to be a member; and
• maintains a formal disciplinary procedure, which includes a process to suspend or expel members, and an appropriate complaints resolution procedure.

CBHS pays benefits for the following therapies under Extras level of cover if the provider meets the requirements of Rule 10 and CBHS Recognition Criteria.

Rule 10 also applies to the following services:

Provider Recognition and Other Services
CBHS pays benefits for the following services under Extras level of cover and are outside the government’s requirement of Rule 10 but must meet CBHS Recognition Criteria.