On Saturday, April 30, Gene Bruno, LAc, OMD, president emeritus of the American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM), and Michael Schroeder, vice president of the American Acupuncture Council (AAC), presented new proposed language for obstetrics and gynecology to be included in the AAC's malpractice insurance policies. The presentation was made at a public forum during the annual meeting of the California State Oriental Medical Association (CSOMA) in San Francisco.
At the meeting, Dr. Bruno offered attendees a synopsis of the history of the development for the new insurance language, then introduced Mr. Schroeder. All participants were provided with copies of the proposed language, which Mr. Schroeder discussed at length. Mr. Schroeder also answered attendees questions' during the discussion.
Over the course of the public forum, it was explained that the AAOM contacted the AAC to have more definitive language included in their malpractice insurance policies, and that the AAC was receptive to helping the acupuncture profession achieve this goal. The new proposed language explains the details involved with the coverage of acupuncture services as they relate to obstetrics and gynecology. The language was developed through a draft process, with the initial text developed by AAOM and AAC, then reviewed and edited by practitioners who participated in an AAOM national task force. The revised draft language was then submitted to state associations and AAOM members for feedback. The public forum at the CSOMA conference was the final step before presenting the language to insurance underwriters.
Once complete, the new proposed language will mark the first major change in language for acupuncture malpractice insurance policies in approximately two decades. As an ongoing project, the AAOM and the AAC have vowed to continue working together to present additional definitive language to insurers for inclusion in policies.
Policy Statements Available Online
As a service to the acupuncture profession, the AAC has crafted a pair of documents regarding insurance coverage for obstetrics and gynecology. The documents are now available online at www.acupuncturetoday.com/online/aacgynecology.pdf and www.acupuncturetoday.com/online/aacobstetrics.pdf. The Adobe Acrobat Reader program is required to read the documents.
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