Two issues ago, Acupuncture Today reported on the efforts of individual acupuncturists to aid the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The outpouring of support demonstrated by the acupuncture profession in the past few months has been nothing short of remarkable, as dozens of practitioners have volunteered their time throughout the Gulf Coast region to help people affected by Katrina. In the meantime, suppliers, schools, and state and national associations have all made significant contributions, working together to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of food, clothing, acupuncture needles, herbal remedies, and other items to provide much-needed relief.
In that vein, we are proud to publish two new stories - "Treating People With Acupuncture in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina" by Susan Zimmer, DC, RN, FASA, and "Acupuncturists Without Borders: Report From the Streets of New Orleans" by Graham Marks, MAc. We also encourage our readers to keep reading Acupuncture Today and visiting AcupunctureToday.com for more stories as they become available.
When we talk about fertility, the focus is often placed on the ovaries and the uterus. Yet sperm-related factors contribute to nearly half of all cases of infertility. Whether someone is navigating fertility care alone or with a partner, and whether building a family through intercourse, IVI, IUI or IVF, it’s vital to include sperm health in the picture.
With some plans – and it starts with Medicare (CMS) – there is a payment protocol that may be referred to as a multi-therapy discount, but its official name is the multiple-procedure payment reduction (MPPR). If a health care provider performs multiple procedures during a single patient encounter, Medicare (and many commercial insurers) typically will pay “full price” for only the highest-valued procedure.
Our team of authors offer this paper (and this descriptive AT series) as a support for you as a professional, practitioner and member of the acupuncture community at large. We hope that it will serve to further the needs of acupuncturists everywhere and also act as a guide for those wishing to learn about Acupuncture Medicine – patients, healthcare decision makers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.