If you aren't already familiar with TRICARE, here's the scoop: It's the government-managed health care insurance program for U.S. uniformed service members, retirees and their families worldwide, currently providing coverage for 9.4 million – yes, you read that correctly – eligible beneficiaries.
Here's another scoop, and it's a huge one for the AOM profession: TRICARE appears poised to include acupuncture services in its coverage, according to Military.com, which cites "a document distributed to military support organizations this week."
According to Military.com, the document stipulates that the new policy providing acupuncture coverage will be proposed within the next few months, "issued in an official regulation change notice no later than early next year."
Currently, acupuncture is not covered by TRICARE; neither is chiropractic, which is also mentioned in the document as a service that will be covered per the proposed policy change.*
It is unclear which specific acupuncture (and chiropractic) services will be covered if and when the policy change takes effect, although according to Military.com, the document says covered services "must be proven safe and effective."
Acupuncture Today Columnist Bill Reddy is currently researching this exciting development and will provide further details in an upcoming issue. Stay tuned.
*While TRICARE does not cover acupuncture or chiropractic (yet), both services are available at a limited number of Veterans Administration and Department of Defense facilities. TRICARE is particularly important because if the Military Health System, overseen by the DoD, or the VA cannot accommodate the demand for care, TRICARE provides coverage at civilian hospitals and health care facilities.
Consequences for HIPAA violations can often be quite harsh. If someone has breached the HIPAA privacy regulations – even without any malicious intent, civil penalties are applicable: $100 per violation for unawareness, a minimum of $1,000 for reasonable cause, a minimum of $10,000 if willful neglect is present and then rectified, and finally, a minimum of $50,000 for individuals who act with willful neglect and ignore the issue.
The luo vessels are important in the treatment of mental health issues. They are conduits of “ying qi”: blood and fluids. We believe that the shen is “housed” in the heart and circulated through the blood, making a channel system that “conducts” ying qi ideal for treatment of the mind and emotions.
As our health care ecosystem continues to evolve, I’ve found an increased emphasis being placed on an integrative approach to patient care. As an acupuncturist, you are an essential part of this collaborative system and health care team, cooperating with a range of other professionals including medical doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists, and others.
