Whether you accept it, avoid it or live somewhere in between, insurance coverage has become a defining issue for our profession. Patients increasingly expect to use their benefits, practitioners want to be compensated fairly for their time and expertise, and the system itself remains – at best – fragmented. The encouraging news is that coverage has expanded in meaningful ways. The challenging news is that reimbursement, across the board, remains inadequate.
California Legislator Becomes 42nd Co-Sponsor for HR 818
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA, 46th district) has become the 42nd co-sponsor of HR 818, the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act of 2005. A five-time co-sponsor of the act from previous sessions of Congress, Rep. Rohrabacher is the 12th member of California's congressional delegation to co-sponsor H.R. 818.
Rep. Rohrabacher is also one of the most outspoken advocates of acupuncture in Congress. On June 24, 2003, in a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rohrabacher referred to several forms of healing, including acupuncture. "The American people need to have these available to them, these and other vehicles, for a good, healthy life." Rep. Rohrabacher's reference to acupuncture was also published in The Congressional Record.
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.