Fair and appropriate wages in health care are typically based on economic evaluations. A simple literature review illuminates that acupuncture is missing economic evaluations; which implies you are either underpaid or overpaid.
Licensed acupuncturists typically provide additional services other than acupuncture. The complexity of services provided by most American acupuncturists, which they are trained and certified to provide, must be reimbursed fairly.
If insurance does not cover additional services, the patient is expected to pay for the services out-of-pocket. Alas, most acupuncturists in private practice write off such services as basic evaluation and management, nutritional, lifestyle and exercise counseling, in addition to mental and emotional services. This has led to widespread expectation that acupuncturists will write off such services; and may lead to provider burnout.
It is important to consider not engaging in employment contracts that require the licensee to provide services for which they are not paid. Would an attorney spend an extra hour a day providing consultations for free?
These additional services often require postgraduate education, which is time consuming and expensive for the person holding the license to practice within their scope of practice.
Some acupuncturists have additional years of postgraduate education for their areas of specialty (for example, in my case, adjunct acupuncture for assisted reproductive technology: IVF). Specialists must be paid accordingly. Currently, medical doctors are unaware that many acupuncturists obtain postgraduate education to specialize in specific conditions at their own volition.
An incentive to obtain appropriate postgraduate education does not exist for general acupuncturists. This lack of education makes it difficult to hire acupuncturists or create employment opportunities. Perhaps appropriate salaries may encourage more acupuncturists to obtain the necessary education that is not provided during their master or doctorate program.
My recommendation for acupuncturists who are negotiating employment contracts is to consider the following:
- Only providing acupuncture for specific conditions or specialty (e.g.: pain management, acupuncture for IVF patients)
- If you are providing any additional services other than acupuncture (e.g.: emotional support), make sure you will be paid for those additional services.
