March 31, 2009 -- As part of the budget package approved in February, California Treasurer Bill Lockyer and Finance Director Mike Genest had until April 1 to determine whether California would receive at least $10 billion in federal stimulus funds that could be applied to the state general fund through mid-2010. On Friday, March 27, 2009, Lockyer and Genest concluded that California will receive only $8.2 billion in stimulus funds for its general fund.
Acupuncture Today reported in April on this possibility. We will be reporting on this more in a future print issue.
Because the federal stimulus funds did not meet the $10 billion requirement established by the budget package, all funding for optional benefits, including acupuncture, within the Medi-Cal program will end on July 1, 2009. Consequently, Medi-Cal acupuncture benefits will terminate on this date.
The California State Oriental Medicine Association (CSOMA) will continue to advocate for full restoration of acupuncture benefits in Medi-Cal. It will provide updates as this situation continues to develop. You may check their Web site at www.csomaonline.org.
CSOMA welcomes and appreciates feedback on these issues. You may send comments to info@csomaonline.org or contact CSOMA toll-free at (800) 477-4564.
Do you receive text messages from companies letting you know about offers or giveaways, or simply sharing news? If your answer is yes, then you have opted in for SMS (short message service) text-message marketing. SMS text-message marketing uses various platforms and software to send personalized, timely and sometimes interactive messages.
The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) has announced it is closing after 41 years. Pending accreditor approval, OCOM will cease offering classes after September (fourth-year OCOM students graduate Aug. 26). All current / incoming OCOM students have the option of continuing their education at the National University of Natural Medicine or Five Branches University, or transferring to another school altogether.
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The end of cancer treatment does not necessarily signal a return to good health. Cancer survivors report poorer health and well-being than people who have not had cancer; many suffer chronic consequences of cancer and its treatments. Some may also develop new symptoms many years after treatment has ended.
