NCCAOM and ASA Partner to Celebrate Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Day 2021

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)®, http://www.nccaom.org, and American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA), http://www.asacu.org, are collaborating to promote nationwide observations of the 18th Annual Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (AHM) Day on Oct. 24. In honor of AHM Day, both organizations have joined forces to elevate acupuncture services as a nonpharmaceutical option for treatment and are asking the public to submit their success stories about effective acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments at http://www.ahmday.org.

To help advance the medicine and increase access to qualified acupuncturists, the NCCAOM and the ASA are working together with U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) to establish acupuncturists as a Medicare provider group. H.R. 4803, The Acupuncture for our Seniors Act, https://bit.ly/HR-4803, would authorize the Medicare program to recognize acupuncturists to provide covered acupuncture services to Medicare beneficiaries (those age 65+) without supervision. The passage of H.R. 4803 would increase access to acupuncturists and provide more pain-management options for Medicare beneficiaries. Look for more information about the Medicare-recognition effort the NCCAOM and ASA websites at, https://www.nccaom.org/advocacy-regulatory/ and http://www.asacu.org.

"It is paramount that those in need of medical services realize the full realm of available modalities and are able to access competent, professional and nonpharmaceutical care options. AHM day promotes awareness of acupuncture and herbal medicine's ability to restore health and wellness while H.R. 4803 expands accessibly of this medicine to currently underserved populations." said Olivia Hsu Friedman, DACM, Dipl. OM (NCCAOM), L.Ac., Chair of ASA.

"Over the course of this year, acupuncture and herbal medicine has gained prominence as an effective treatment of chronic pain, substance abuse, mental health disorders as well as for post COVID-19 symptoms," said Mina Larson, M.S., MBA, CEO of NCCAOM. "AHM Day is designed to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of acupuncture and herbal medicine to include the introduction of H.R. 4803."

This year's observance of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Day is more than a celebration of the profession and its practitioners, this year we recount the AHM profession's strides towards breaking barriers and the treatment of underserved communities. NCCAOM and ASA have run a photo contest on the NCCAOM and ASA social media channels to boost exposure and shed light on acupuncture practitioners' efforts to be part of this historic time. View the outstanding photos submitted by AHM practitioners on the NCCAOM Instagram account at, http://www.instagram.com/nccaom. The lucky winner will be announced on Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Day – October 24, 2021.

About ASA
The Mission of the American Society of Acupuncturists, http://www.asacu.org is advancing the professional practice of acupuncture as a whole system of medicine through advocacy, education, and research. Their vision is to see that acupuncturists are valued leaders and partners in the American healthcare system, and patients have equitable access to our care.

About NCCAOM
The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)®, http://www.nccaom.org, is a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization established in 1982. NCCAOM certification or a passing score on the NCCAOM certification examinations are documentation of competency for licensure as an acupuncturist by 46 states plus the District of Columbia which represents 98 percent of the states that regulate acupuncture. All NCCAOM certification programs are currently accredited by the National Commission for Certification Agencies (NCCA). To find an NCCAOM National Board-certified Acupuncturist in your area, click on Find a Practitioner at http://www.nccaom.org.

For more information on AHM Day, please visit http://www.ahmday.org.

Media Contact

Olga Cox, Chief Operations Officer, National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, +1 2023811134, [email protected]

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SOURCE National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Related Links

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