As of January 2020, Medicare covers acupuncture treatment for chronic low back pain.
This is a huge step in expanding access to acupuncture. We need acupuncture to be affordable and easily accessible.
However, this coverage is at risk.
Right now, there are no limitations on who can perform acupuncture treatments. In order to provide the safest treatments, they should be performed by practitioners with the highest level of education and training, Licensed Acupuncturists.
Legislation regarding acupuncture and therefore vocabulary such as ‘Licensed Acupuncturists’ did not exist at the time of Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the Medicare and Medicaid Acts (the Social Security Amendments).
HR 4803 will amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to define and cover Licensed Acupuncturists allowing them to perform acupuncture services without non-expert supervision and bill Medicare directly.
Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, and many other insurance companies cover acupuncture provided by actual acupuncturists. The public is clamoring for acupuncture treatment. The public no longer wants every issue to be a matter of prescribing medication.
Other healthcare professionals are fighting for the expansion of treatment options. Which acupuncturists want to be included in. However, chiropractors have been running a bill to expand their federal scope of practice to include everything that is allowed by their state statutes. This means there will be coverage for ‘dry needling,’ or acupuncture performed by those with significantly less education and training.
This puts the safety and future of acupuncture at risk.
We feel it is important for our patients to be aware of the legislative happenings with acupuncture. We want to save our profession.
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Keep up here.