Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Insurance
Protect your acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice with trusted, tailored insurance coverage.
Overview
As an acupuncture or Chinese medicine practitioner in Australia, your focus is on providing safe, effective care to your clients. However, every treatment carries risks, ranging from adverse reactions to potential allegations of negligence. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Insurance offers essential protection, helping you meet the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia’s (CMBA) requirements while shielding your practice from unexpected legal and financial challenges.
Backed by leading insurers, our specialised insurance solutions are customised to suit the unique nature of your practice, whether you operate from a clinic, provide mobile treatments, or consult online. Practice with confidence, knowing you’re supported by insurance built specifically for your profession.
Types of Coverage Available
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Insurance combines Public Liability Insurance, Professional Indemnity Cover and Product Liability Insurance to protect your business from potential claims and financial risks.
Why Do Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Practitioners Need Insurance?
Even the most experienced acupuncture and Chinese medicine practitioners face risks. A client might have an adverse reaction to treatment or claim professional negligence. Such situations can lead to costly legal fees and financial strain if you don’t have insurance.
Having insurance means you’re protected against claims, covered for legal expenses, and able to focus on providing quality care with confidence. It also helps you meet the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia’s (CMBA) insurance requirements, giving you and your patients peace of mind throughout your practice.
Who Needs Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Insurance?
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Insurance is essential for various professionals within the field, including:
- Sole traders running independent practices
- Small clinics offering complementary medicine
- Freelance practitioners providing mobile or remote treatments
- Specialists using traditional Chinese herbal remedies or therapies
If you practice acupuncture or Chinese medicine in Australia, having professional insurance is essential to protect your livelihood and reputation.
Common Claims and Scenarios
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine practitioners can face various claims related to treatment errors, adverse reactions, or property damage. Common scenarios include:
- Worsening of a pre-existing medical condition
- Physical injury sustained by a client during treatment
- Adverse allergic reactions to herbal formulations or acupuncture materials
- Claims of professional misconduct or ethical breaches
- Allegations of negligent advice leading to client harm
Why choose us?
We are a trusted, reliable, and professional insurance broker dedicated to providing insurance solutions for natural therapy practitioners
Dedicated in-house claims support
Instant Certificates of Currency
Local team of insurance specialists
Over 35 years of industry experience
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Product Liability Insurance can protect you if a client has an adverse reaction to herbal remedies or other Chinese medicine products you supply or recommend.
Injuries related to acupuncture needles, such as infections or accidental punctures, are generally covered by Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance policies. Your broker can provide all the necessary information regarding your policy.
Yes, you are. If a client trips, slips, or sustains an injury while at your clinic or treatment space, Public Liability Insurance can help cover the legal and medical costs related to those incidents.
Yes, you are. Professional Indemnity Insurance covers claims where a client alleges that your acupuncture treatment caused them physical injury, emotional distress, or worsened their condition. This may include claims of negligence, improper technique, or failure to obtain informed consent. The policy can help cover legal fees, compensation payouts, and associated costs, protecting your reputation and livelihood.
We are here to help
For more information on how Natural Therapies Insurance can protect your practice, our friendly team of brokers is ready to help. Whether you have questions about a policy, need assistance with a claim, or want advice on managing risks, we’re here to support you.
Optional Coverage
When written on an occurrence basis, the policy that responds to a claim will be the policy you had in place at the time of the incident. So if you claim now for an
incident/client you provided a therapy to in 2023, the policy from 2023 is the one that would respond if it is written on an occurrence basis.
When written on a claims-made basis, the policy that responds to a claim will be the policy you currently have in place at the time you make the claim. So if you
claim now for an incident/client you provided a therapy to in 2023, the policy you have now (in 2025) will be the one that responds if it is written on a claims-made basis.
The Medicines Wording for Natural Therapies is written entirely on an occurrence basis, even the Professional Indemnity.
In normal cases, Professional Indemnity is usually written on a claims-made basis which includes a Retroactive Date. If you currently have a policy on a claims-made basis, the Retroactive Cover will extend our policy to respond to claims from previous years so that there is no gap in cover when you move to our Natural Therapies product. It adds a retroactive date which allows our policy to cover claims from incidents/clients you provided therapies to even before you had insurance through us, as early as the retroactive
date specified.
Even with the Retrospective Cover extension, you may still be required to provide proof that you had insurance at the time of the incident if the incident happened before you had insurance with us.
This cover is subject to all other terms and conditions from your policy schedule and the wording.
In addition to the Defence Costs and Expenses outlined under Sections 1, 2 and 3 on the Medicines wording, the Legal Expenses Section extends this for additional insured events such as certain:
- Employment;
- Employers prosecution defence;
- Contract disputes;
- Property dispute;
- Competition & Consumer Act 2010 dispute;
- Right to practice; and
- Attendance for jury service;
For an aggregate sublimit of $25,000.
This cover is subject to all other terms and conditions from your policy schedule and the wording. It is important to review this section in the policy wording as there are further conditions and exclusions to the above.
Intended to cover portable items/property up to $75,000 total and up to $1,000 per unspecified item. Items over $1,000 can be specified and reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Any electronics (phones, tablets, laptops, etc.) need to be specified in order to be included.
We will pay, acting reasonably having regard to the relevant circumstances, the cost of repair, replacement or reinstatement of the Insured Property to a condition substantially the same as but not better or more extensive than its condition when new.
This cover is subject to all other terms and conditions from your policy schedule and the wording. It is important to review this section in the policy wording as
there are further conditions and exclusions to the above.
Fully occurrence-based wording (Medicines wording) means no runoff cover is required for this product. So if the insured ceases trading, they will not need to continue renewing this product.
Over 1,500 modalities.
Competitive rates for sole traders turning over less than $250,000. Also available for companies with employees, no turnover cap per se but we will review case-by-case for $250k and higher.
Special agreed rates for many partnered associations.
Insurance available for training bodies, schools and colleges. Students can also be included under this cover if they are a recognised training body.
Insurance available for students still studying their modalities, special rates.
Binder with Lloyds of London as security means we are open to consider many new and/or complex modalities for the right premium, subject to appropriate levels of experience and qualifications.
Available to Australian and New Zealand clients (note NZ clients cannot be written on SSP, has to be quoted manually, so unsure if you want to include this one).
Automatic cover for market stalls up to $10,000 turnover, though terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Product sales need to be approved.
Product sales can be agreed upon under the policy.