Amy Sear, AP, Dipl. OM, is an instructor and practitioner, who began her acupuncture career in 1997. As an instructor, she teaches ethics at Atlantic Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as well as for continuing education programs for numerous providers across the country. She is nationally board certified in Oriental Medicine through NCCAOM, served as the Florida State Oriental Medical Association president for six years, and is the owner of Sear-Enity Seminars in Florida. She can be reached at sear_enity_seminars@me.com.
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.