Two more members of Congress have joined as co-sponsors of HR 818, the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act of 2005, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to 38. The newest co-sponsors are:
Ms. Sanchez is the 10 th representative from California to co-sponsor HR 818, and the eighth member of the House Government Reform Committee to co-sponsor the legislation. The House Government Reform Committee is one of three committees currently investigating the merits of the bill. All told, representatives from 17 states and two U.S. territories have signed on as co-sponsors of HR 818.
For more information on the status of the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act, visit http://thomas.loc.gov, and enter "HR 818" in the "Search Bill Text" box.
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.