CORONAVIRUS

The government announcement on 24 March 2020 means that massage cannot continue. We are currently talking to government to clarify the situation for remedial massage, together with other health services.

Some of you are asking if you should close your clinics. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers.

Your decision should take into account current government advice, your financial situation, client expectations, your own health and best practice measures. We have provided some links below to help you make your decision.

Whatever your decision, it is important to respect government advice on Coronavirus hygiene.

For those of you who are able to choose to remain open, we understand that you may want some help assuring your patients that you are maintaining current hygiene standards.

To help you continue to run your business during this period, we have provided some posters below to help assure your patients that you are maintaining current hygiene standards.

Yes. As long as you follow all government recommendations regarding best practice hygiene controls and work within your scope of practice, your insurance will cover you.

As at 24 March 2020, the list of non-essential activities is short. Myotherapists are not included in the shutdown.

You will need to make a decision based on current government advice, your financial situation, client expectations, your own health and best practice measures. We have provided some links below to help you make your decision.

Given how fast things are moving, it may be wise for practitioners to put in place plans in case government decisions mean that you cannot operate on an in-person basis for some months. That means investigating remote consultation options.

MA is arranging an online webinar to provide you more information about  video/remote consultation guidelines and how you can set these up successfully for essential patient service requirements. We will inform you as soon as this is arranged.

We continue to work with other allied health professionals and government to determine how government considers myotherapy.

Each member needs to make your own decision about whether to provide remote services.

Your MA membership insurance will cover these services provided you work within your scope of practice, including maintaining, as always, comprehensive clinical notes.

It is important that you provide your patients who elect for remote consultations with a comprehensive patient informed consent form [MA is working to provide a template for our members] outlining how the service is to be delivered, costs and that private health insurance may not cover remote consultations (see next FAQ).

No. At this stage,  video/remote consultations conducted by myotherapists are not a rebatable private health insurance service.

We encourage you to clearly outline this when obtaining patient financial consent for remote consultations. MA also encourages members to clearly note this on your receipts – for example this is not a rebatable private health insurance service.

In the interest of reducing the likelihood of confusion for patients receiving remote consultations, we strongly recommend providers remove their provider number from these receipts.

Decisions by government regarding video/remote consultations are rapidly evolving. We are in regular contact with the private health insurers to ask them to reconsider whether they will pay rebates for remote consultations.

Recognising that this is a difficult time for our members, MA has partnered with Sally Cumming from Engage Health to offer access to her Calm, Healthy Minds program. MA will subsidise members to enrol in this eight week course (price to be determined and advised asap).

Hand washing https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pandemic/Pages/hand-wash-community.aspx

Isolation guidance https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-isolation-guidance

Know the signs https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-know-the-signs

Stop the spread https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-stop-the-spread

MA Poster – for display at your practice https://www.myotherapy.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ma-poster.pdf

Government provides free online training.

COVID-19 infection control training https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covid-19-infection-control-training

Infection Prevention and Control eLearning Modules https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/infection-prevention-and-control/infection-prevention-and-control-elearning-modules

MA endorsed professional development partners  – view our endorsed PD partners for online activity

https://www.myotherapy.org.au/membership/professional-development/accredited-pd/

MA has negotiated the following special pricing for our members

Kinetic Link Training – Level 1 (Functional Strength and Conditioning)

Study Online | 50% off for MA Members | MA Accredited Program

Myotherapy Association Australia Members can register for this comprehensive online learning experience from now until 30 April 2020 for 50% off the RRP.

You will have 6 months access to the online lessons so you can take your time and study at your own pace.

Using the code MYO-HALF-PRICE reduces the online course fee from $370 to just $185.

Course highlights 

• Fully explore strength and conditioning principles in relation to functional resistance training
• Discover successful methods for integrating functional training into your business models
• Master biomechanically balanced exercise programs for both home-based training and gym-based training
• Learn to train movement patterns, not individual muscles (including 22 essential, distinct movement patterns)
• Create fully balanced functional strength and conditioning programs by using a precise system of training
• 6 months access to all the online course material – complete the course at a time that suits you – at a pace that suits you. (the course takes about 16 hours to complete)

More information can be found on the KLT website.

MA has negotiated the following special pricing for our members

From 23 March until 6 April the course is 25% off! 

ACE are currently developing content for FREE online learning material https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzNU6EHbIyD3IJHbZM_uW0Q

Recognising that this is a difficult time for our members, MA has partnered with Sally Cumming from Engage Health to offer access to her Calm, Healthy Minds program. MA will subsidise members to enrol in this eight week course (price to be determined and advised asap).

In light of the current situation, the Board have granted an exemption of the mandatory four (4) Formal PD points for this 2019-2020 membership cycle for all members.

In light of the current situation, the Board have granted an exemption of the dry needling PDP requirements for this 2019-2020 membership cycle for all members.

Members are required to obtain 20 PDP prior to June 30, 2020 as part of your obligations for continuing membership registration.

The Board has determined that all 20 points can be within the informal category for this 2019-2020 membership cycle for all members. A comprehensive list of informal PDP activity can be found in Appendices 4-7 of your MA PD guidelines. It is important that you consider your informal PD activity to determine that it meets the MA PD Guidelines.

MA’s PD and Events committees will be working closely with our staff to consider what online PD events we may be able to offer our members in the coming months, so we ask that you please be patient as we are working to develop an online events calendar.

PD exemptions may still apply for exceptional circumstances. All applications for exemptions must be submitted to [email protected]

MA will allow membership renewals for members whose first aid has expired after 12 March 2020. Please note this waiver is temporary and we will need to review it as life returns to normal post-Covid19.

At this stage, most private health fund providers have granted a temporary amnesty on renewal requirements for expired first aid certification. The amnesty will be reviewed on a monthly basis, but is expected to apply for at least three months.

MA continues to communicate with the other private health providers and other groups that impose first aid as a mandatory requirement to determine their current requirements.

The Board has made the difficult, but we believe necessary, decision to postpone all formal PD events currently scheduled on the MA Calendar.

At this stage we are in discussions with event facilitators to arrange alternate dates so that we can continue to operate these events.

MA has taken the position to postpone any formal events until after 1st October. However, based on Government recommendations, these dates may be subject to change.

For those of you who have pre-purchased tickets for any upcoming MA run face-to-face events, a member of our staff will contact you to discuss your options for maintaining your event registration and applying it to a new date, transferring your ticket to another event, or a refund.

In light of recent Government announcements, the Board has decided to move the MA National Myotherapy Conference 2020 to an online platform.
At this stage, we anticipate no change to the event date, that is Sunday 17th May, 2020. However, we are currently unable to confirm any other details as our conference and events committee continues discussions with our presenters and sponsors.

Costs for registration tickets will be determined in the coming weeks.

Please be patient as our committee liaises with suppliers, presenters, sponsors and IT to organise a great event for you. We will need to work out the attendance prices based on the costs to us.

For those who have pre-purchased tickets for this event, where the new price differs from the current price, we will contact you to arrange a partial refund, or credit for other events.

We appreciate that these unprecedented events are presenting financial challenges for many members. The MA board is reviewing options in an effort to best support members who may experience difficulty committing to membership renewal payments come June 30, 2020. We will let you know as soon as we have an update.

Federal and State Governments have announced, and are continuing to announce stimulus packages.

Other assistance avenues are also available and we have provided links below to assist you.

MA will run a Q&A with Belinda Hudson, Director at William Buck on the economic stimulus packages. Once you register, we will provide you with the opportunity to register your questions. We will provide you with details asap.

At this stage we ask for your understanding. We are currently experiencing an unprecedented number of phone calls and emails. We have a small staff and a limited number of telephone lines. We are doing our very best to answer your calls and respond to emails.

Please be patient and respectful with our staff.

In addition to answering your calls and emails, we are working together with other allied health provider groups to obtain updated guidance and advice from the various governments that focuses on the specific needs of allied health in primary practice.

We are looking at setting up two member Q&A teleconferences in the very near future:

1 – economic stimulus package and other assistance for myotherapists
2 – covid19 issues impacting myotherapists

Stay tuned – we will inform you as soon as we have more details.

Victorian government advice on non-essential business closure https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/202003/Directions-Non-Essential-Business-Closure.pdf

Coronavirus at a glance https://images.theconversation.com/files/321864/original/file-20200320-22590-jigu0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1681&fit=crop&dpr=1

PM’s latest economic stimulus announcement https://www.pm.gov.au/media/supporting-australian-workers-and-business

Federal Treasurer’s announcements https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/josh-frydenberg-2018/media-releases

William Buck FAQs on Covid-19 Economic Stimulus package

Assistance For Small Business https://www.cosboa.org.au/covid-19

If you have already had to make the tough decision to stand your staff down, please consider providing them with a letter such as this, as it will be required if asked, for Centrelink benefits. For further info see Fairwork site.