California Poised to Cut Acupuncture from State Medicare
February 15th, 2008
California, a beachhead state for acupuncture coverage, is in the process of making budget cuts that could affect the nation’s health and wellness.
Due to a budget shortfall of $3.3 billion, the state Medicare (Medi-Cal) plans to eliminate payments for acupuncture treatment.
Acupuncture Today’s article stated this “is particularly troubling, as California currently is the only state to offer Medicaid coverage for acupuncture treatments.”
Acupuncture treatments were not the only cutbacks, reported the article. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed a 10 percent cut across the board, including adult dental, audiology, optometry, optical, chiropractic, podiatry, psychology, and speech therapy.
The cuts may go into effect on March 1, said the report. The California State Oriental Medicine Association (CSOMA) said it is working with other associations who might be negatively affected by these fiscal decisions to develop strategy to challenge these decisions.
While the effect of this budget crisis on acupuncturists an acupuncture patients will be grave, and the example set by California would possibly prevent other states from including acupuncture in their Medicare coverage or at a federal level, the actual savings to the state would be minimal.
In 2002, the Florida state legislature launched an “integrative-therapies pilot program.” The program required a Medicaid waiver to cover the services of licensed acupuncturists and massage therapists for patients at a reduced cost, and was successful. According to Acupuncture Today , the state of Florida chose to extend the program last year.
Here is some contact information below if you are interested in letting the governor and the legislature know your opinion on these proposed cuts:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160
State Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles)
Phone: (213) 620-4646
E-mail: speaker.nunez@assembly.ca.gov
State Senate President Pro-Tem
Don Peralta (D-Oakland)
Phone: (510) 286-1333
E-mail: senator.perata@sen.ca.gov
State Senate Republican Leader
Dick Ackerman (R-Irvine)
Phone: (916) 651-4033
Fax: (916) 445-9754
E-mail: senator.ackerman@sen.ca.gov
State Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines (R-Clovis)
Phone: (559) 446-2029
Fax: (559) 446-2028
E-mail: assemblymember.villines@assembly.ca.gov
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