Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act (HR 3133): What it is and How it Benefits Your Healthcare System
Megan Gale
This free download is a white (communication) paper created by SOHHA’s Health Policy Workgroup. The workgroup created this communication resource to help you understand the federal-bill-in-waiting, HR 3133, Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act, and how it improves access to an acupuncturist’s services for adults and children who are Medicare beneficiaries or other federal program beneficiaries.
The Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act is inclusion legislation. When passed, it adds (includes) the LAc profession to the SSA’s list of recognized (allied health) providers.
The Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act (HR 3133), How it Improves Patient Access to Acupuncture (a non-opioid pain management option), a Focus on Hospital & Healthcare System-Based Acupuncturists and Programs
Last revised 6.23.2024
Society of Hospital & Healthcare System-Based Acupuncturists (SOHHA) Health Policy Workgroup
authors: Paul Magee (workgroup leader), Megan Kingsley Gale, Ryan Davenport
SOHHA's Health Policy Workgroup prepared this document. This workgroup's mission is to communicate about health policies that affect our work as clinicians and programs.
SOHHA is short for the Society of Hospital & Healthcare System-Based Acupuncturists. This is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in California, U.S.A.
For a quick reference list of acronyms used:
LAc = licensed acupuncturist. This is the most common state license title for a professional who has completed an ACAHM-accredited graduate degree in the field of acupuncture and Eastern medicine. ACAHM is a specialty accrediting body approved by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit acupuncture and Eastern medicine study programs.
CMS = Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
SSA = Social Security Act
NCD = national coverage decision. Specifically, a decision made by CMS.
The January 2020 Medicare (CMS) national coverage decision to cover acupuncture and acupuncturists work for the condition of chronic low back pain. Citation: https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncd.aspx?NCDId=373
Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act (HR 3133) Useful Links:
Location of bill on senate.gov website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3133
ASA/NCCAOM policy workgroup on HR 3133: advocacy@thenccaom.org
pdf from ASA/NCCAOM focuses on LAc clinicians in private practice as the audience: https://www.nccaom.org/
Join a Presentation and Community Discussion on HR 3133 & How it Improves Patient Access to Care & Decreases Current Barriers to Reimbursement: https://www.thehospitalhandbook.com/events
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References
January 2020 CMS National Coverage Decision (NCD) for Acupuncture for Low Back Pain. https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncd.aspx?NCDId=373
Arya Nielsen, Jeffery A Dusek, Lisa Taylor-Swanson, Heather Tick, Acupuncture Therapy as an Evidence-Based Nonpharmacologic Strategy for Comprehensive Acute Pain Care: The Academic Consortium Pain Task Force White Paper Update, Pain Medicine, Volume 23, Issue 9, September 2022, Pages 1582–1612, https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnac056 https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnac056
Cost Savings to a healthcare system from implementing an inpatient acupuncture service line in Minnesota were documented, and the research was published. Here are the citations:
JA Dusek, Rivard RL, Griffin KH, and Finch MD. Significant Pain Reduction in Hospitalized Patients Receiving Integrative Medicine Interventions by Clinical Population and Accounting for Pain Medication. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Mar 2021. S-28-S-36. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2021.0051
JA Dusek, Griffin KH, Finch MD, Rivard RL, Watson D. Cost Savings from Reducing Pain through Delivery of Integrative Medicine Program. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Jun 2018. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2017.0203
Dusek JA, Finch M, Plotnikoff G, Knutson L; Penny George Institute for Health and Healing Inpatient Care Team. The impact of integrative medicine on pain management in a tertiary care hospital. Journal of Patient Safety. 2010; 6(1): 48-51. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22130304/
a publication from the inpatient integrative pain management program at Abbott Northwestern Hospital of Allina Health, Minnesota.
"Optimal inpatient pain management remains a major institutional and therapeutic challenge," Journal of Patient Safety published March 2010.
Links to HR 3133 on the federal government legislation website (to see progress, what representatives currently support it, etc.):
Location of the bill on the senate.gov website (which will have updates): https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3133
The bill was introduced in May 2023 for the 2023-2024 federal legislative cycle. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)