The American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) are pleased to announce that U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R- Pennsylvania) has cosponsored H.R. 4803, the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act that U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-California) introduced in 2021.
WASHINGTON, April 9, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- H.R. 4803 would authorize the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to recognize qualified acupuncturists as healthcare providers. Medicare recognition would enable qualified acupuncturists to provide covered services to Medicare beneficiaries—over 60-million Americans.
"We are so grateful to Congressman Fitzpatrick for his support of this crucial legislation that would enable qualified acupuncturists to improve the health and quality of life of individuals and their families. We also commend Molly Giammarco, Government Relations Director, and Federal Lobbyist for making this connection possible and ensuring that HR 4803 is supported by both Republicans and Democrat Members of Congress," stated Olivia Hsu Friedman, DACM, L.Ac., ASA Chair and Mina Larson, M.S., MBA, CAE, NCCAOM CEO.
Through the hard work of our advocacy team and Pennsylvania resident and Acupuncturist Brenda Schaufele, L.Ac., L.OM, Diplomate NCCAOM, we were able to obtain support from Congressman Fitzpatrick's Office earlier today.
Acupuncture currently cannot provide services to Medicare beneficiaries without supervision, even though their training and scope of practice enable them to practice independently. This disrupts the acupuncture service-delivery model, as they cannot receive direct reimbursement for the services they provide to Medicare beneficiaries, who in turn, cannot readily access their services.
Research demonstrates that acupuncture is effective in providing high-quality, personalized care that helps individuals manage pain—without opioids and invasive procedures—and embrace preventive and wellness care options.
The ASA and the NCCAOM look forward to engaging more members of Congress and the profession in this effort.
Media Contact: Olga Cox – 202-381-1116
About the ASA
The Mission of the https://www.asacu.org/American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) is to promote the highest standards of professional practice for acupuncture and EAM in the United States, to benefit public health. Through strengthening the profession at the state level while promoting collaboration nationally and internationally, the ASA provides its members, the public, legislators, and regulators resources for ensuring the best expression of this ancient and modern medicine.
About the NCCAOM
The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)® is a non-profit 501©(6) organization established in 1982. The NCCAOM is the only national organization that validates entry-level competency in the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine through professional certification. The NCCAOM certification or a passing score on the NCCAOM certification examinations are documentation of competency for licensure as an acupuncturist by 45 states and the District of Columbia, which represents 98 percent of the states that regulate acupuncture. The National Commission for Certification Agencies accredits all NCCAOM-certification programs. To learn more about the NCCAOM, or about acupuncture and national-board certification, visit http://www.nccaom.org.To find an NCCAOM board-certified practitioner in your area, click on Find a Practitioner at http://www.nccaom.org.
Media Contact
Olga Cox, NCCAOM, 1 2023811134, [email protected]
SOURCE NCCAOM
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