Massage health rebate - myth or reality?

[Junglejuice]

Bros

In these costs conscious times, I am sure you've all had the same thought I have on this.

Does there exist a massage shop where one can get all all the benefits of "therapeutic" massage (HJ, B2B etc) and claim part of the cost against private health cover??

It's obvious that this is a win win scenario, but does such a utopia actually exist in Sydney?

JJ

[Travelmate]

is this a real win win??

do you want someone to have all your info?

[Junglejuice]

How will they have all of your info? It's simply a case of swiping your private health cover card through a hicaps machine and boom! $30 off...

Am I missing something?

[BigBoy]

Saw a report about this on TV a couple of years ago.. I thought, Dang! I missed out!.. lol

[neil98]

They definitley do exist. I have had a few over the years. My present place costs me $10 a visit after refund.

[Chucky]

There was a discussion on this on the Happyending forum too. I do know of a couple of shops where u can get the rebate (Part 2) so the massage itself only costs about $5 for 30min.

[Junglejuice]

Well if anyone feels like sharing the details I'd be very grateful if you would PM me!

[ChanMan]

I was curious about this too.
PM me too! :-)

[mongolian]

I also want to know where this place is... PM please

[Chucky]

Check out the www.happyending.com.au Forum. There was a member there who PM'd me - and i can confirm it does work.

[grant]

yeh, I've asked for receipts to see if they would give me one. granted, they did have to dig through the draw a little bit, but I imagine I could have gone through with a claim if I wanted. Tip was excluded.

[AHLUNGOR]

All it takes is one of the ML from the shop to be a qualified masseurs (with a certificate after completing a TAFE course) then he/she can apply for a providers number, with that printed on the receipt and you can claim from your health funds!

Cheers

[tpol]

How will they have all of your info? It's simply a case of swiping your private health cover card through a hicaps machine and boom! $30 off...

Am I missing something?

Everytime I use my Health cards at Rs not RnT, they take down your address, phone no, etc

[yutang]

Pm me too please, I have been after this for a while. Been asking around too with no success. Also thinking about switching health plans so advice about that too would be welcome :)

[CunningLinguist]

I don't really want any proof of my attendance at a RnT place lying around!
Also I don't feel comfy asking taxpayers to pay for me to be jerked off by a ML.
If this catches on too much it will get media attention, then government attention. then the rules will probably be changed.
Just hope I am not the one being asked to do a TV interview about rorting the system when I walk out of a RnT shop ...

[AC3]

Would love to know where such a place existed! Please PM me. I've taken on a job involving a lot more standing than I'm used to and the back needs a good rubbin'...and whilst I'm there the front needs a good rubbin' too! :P

[neil98]

I can't speak for others but my health fund has a list of approved places who provide remedial massage. You just cross-reference that list against the places described on sites such as this one and there is a surprising number who oocur on both. Choose one of these and Bob's your uncle.

[aussiegaigin]

I don't really want any proof of my attendance at a RnT place lying around!
Also I don't feel comfy asking taxpayers to pay for me to be jerked off by a ML.
If this catches on too much it will get media attention, then government attention. then the rules will probably be changed.
Just hope I am not the one being asked to do a TV interview about rorting the system when I walk out of a RnT shop ...
To get on a Health Fund benefits list, the shop would have to be able to prove it gave remedial service, and it has to have approved providers. So you would get a proper massage, and you could get extras as a side benefit.

There is a massage place in our local Westfield; it has two sets of staff - one for health fund claimers and another for casual customers. The casuals staff are younger girls, but I haven't been able to try them out yet.

[Boney]

The way this works is that a particular person can register with a particular health fund and become a provider with them. If the shop then gives you another girl the rebate does not apply (not to say that this does not happen). Each fund will have lists of who is registered with them, I have heard that some funds have been investigating the rub and tug shops to see if they are playing by the rules.

[CunningLinguist]

The way this works is that a particular person can register with a particular health fund and become a provider with them. If the shop then gives you another girl the rebate does not apply (not to say that this does not happen). Each fund will have lists of who is registered with them, I have heard that some funds have been investigating the rub and tug shops to see if they are playing by the rules.

Sounds like a good job to get!

[Boney]

Sounds like a good job to get!
I have appplied:cool2:

[wilisno]

I have appplied:cool2:

Applied for what ? As a masseur or as an investigator ? ;) ;) ;)

[kamo]

I don't really want any proof of my attendance at a RnT place lying around!
Also I don't feel comfy asking taxpayers to pay for me to be jerked off by a ML.
If this catches on too much it will get media attention, then government attention. then the rules will probably be changed.
Just hope I am not the one being asked to do a TV interview about rorting the system when I walk out of a RnT shop ...

Fully agree there. Best system for punting is cash-in-hand, no paper trail. No receipts. No credit cards. No submission to interlinked federal government databases.

Besides, what happens if one day, sometime in the future, you find yourself secretary of a large national union? Then preselected for a central coast seat? Then the target of a media shitstorm over what you paid for 8 years ago? Just hypothetical of course...

[tpol]

The funny thing is when I use my health fund for a massage, they send me an email afterwards that says DID THAT PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE?

[Huangbanana]

There was a thing in the news a while back where a fair few customers of a massage shop were all busted for fraud due to the shop being centrally located but having a spiked rate of male customers only...all claiming remedial....do the maths.....

[SonCon]

The funny thing is when I use my health fund for a massage, they send me an email afterwards that says DID THAT PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE?

The way I see this is much of wishful thinking that RnT can offer health fund rebate. With a couple of reasons.

- if the shop owner/therapist, took the time to get the TAFE cert and then apply for the provider number. that means they wanted to become a legit massage place and not RnT so chances of that happening is a bit slim..
- if the ML is only interested in quick money, they wont bother to go through the process
- and there are the risk of being audited from the health fund guys if the shop is doing anything aside from legit message
-even if the shop owner has a provider number and let the other MLs who are at the shop does RnT and let punters claim their health fund. There is a limit on how much provider will allow it. Thats part of the health fund company controlling the amount can be claim within a day. I have been to a couple of legit massage place who had two person had the provider number and they let their other staff it. Even then, the health fund wont allow it sometimes as it exceed the amount it can do in 1 day. But they can always manually write up a receipt so you can claim the money after but thats leaving a paper trail........


so with all these reasons...I doubt there are any legit massage place will allow for Rnt given the amount of work/risk they had to take........unless they are desperate for money.

however, it is still my wishful thinking that it can be possible....

a massage shop can run in to parts...first part is legit massage and then second part is Rnt (or even FS). Much like Macau (though Macau dont have health fund rebate)

so the first half massage is absolutely legit and done by MILF or even men. Then you get the option to go for part 2 and of course you can decide not to....

Then you get the health fund rebate for the first half and pay cash for part 2. the business is completely separated. Also the shop can offer part 2 only to returning customers so the lower the risk of inspectors...but then again once the word is out then you cant really hide it anymore.....

i wish...i wish...........

[neil98]

It's not wishful thinking. It happens.

[BigBoy]

It's not wishful thinking. It happens.

Likewise guys, PM if you know a place in Western Sydney :)

Cabramatta / Fairfield only around the corner from where I live... :cool2:

[aussiegaigin]

I was visiting Adelaide over the weekend, and while walking along one of the main CBD streets (Hindley St) I noticed several Chinese/Thai massage shops, and most had prominent "health fund rebates" signs in the window or on the footpath. Closer inspection of most signs revealed "for acupuncture" in small print, but one did say for remedial massage. There was a CYT at the front desk wearing very short cut off jeans and a sloppy T-shirt that did little to hide a nice set of C cups.

My dick decided this needed further investigation so we went in. Yes, the girl said, we will give you a receipt for your health fund, so I paid my $40 for 1/2 hour oil massage and got the hand written note out of a generic book. She led me into a room with a door, and told me someone would be in shortly. So I stripped down to my undies and a couple of minutes later she returned and got down to business. Very talkative, good English, she was a Taiwanese working holiday girl and worked in the shop every day Mon to Fri. The massage was quite good, maybe 7-8/10, but other than occasionally brushing my arm as she went past, there was no indication of any extras being offered (I didn't ask). Sensing there might be opportunities on a return visit and As I intended still being in Adelaide on the Monday I suggested I might come back then, but she apologised that she had every second Monday off, and this was one of them. She mentioned about coming to Sydney in the future, so I offered to give her some clues if she wanted to pursue massage here.

Anyway, I had my receipt worth about $20 in rebate, then remembered that my Health Fund no longer pays cash rebates, only bank deposits or cheques. And guess what, the account is in my wife's name, and I don't really want to have to explain this........