Here are some legal issues facing the Acupuncture profession and Acupuncture patients. if you would like to express your opinion on any of them but don't know your representatives vist vote-smart.org.

NYS Parity Bill

Podiatrists' Bill

Acupuncture in Medicare

SENATE PARITY BILL S.1496 is sponsored by Sen. Montgomery.
You can write to the Chair of the Senate Insurance Committe and urge him to bring the bill to the floor. You can also urge your Senator to vote for it.

NYS Senate Insurance Committee
Sen. James L. Seward
307 Legislative Building
Albany, NY 122248

ASSEMBLY PARITY BILL A.2670 is sponsored by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick.
You can write to the Chair of the Assembly Insurance Committe and urge him to bring the bill to the floor. You can also urge your Assemblyperson to vote for it.

NYS Assembly Insurance Committee
Assemblyman Alexander B. Pete Grannis
712 Legislative Building
Albany, NY 122248

Here's a sample of a letter that you might write:

Dear :
I am writing to express my support for the Acupuncture Insurance Parity Bill, S.01780 (Libous). This Bill will correct the situation in which many insurance companies will pay for acupuncture treatment only if it is performed by a physician.
Lack of insurance parity is unfortunate considering the limited number of physicians practicing acupuncture. I am currently seeing an acupuncturist who is able to help me with my complaints, but my insurance does not want to cover my treatments because my acupuncturist is not a physician.
Licensed acupuncturists complete 2,500-3000 hours of master's-level training at nationally accredited schools and pass national certification exam. They are well prepared to deliver high quality acupuncture care.
Insurance parity is already a law in California, Maine, Florida and Oregon. If passed in our state, it would greatly benefit people like me, who can be helped by acupuncture treatments but can not afford to seek it every time they need it.
I would like to stress that this bill does not mandate insurance coverage for acupuncture. It simply requires that insurance companies that cover acupuncture performed by certified acupuncturists (physicians) cover it also if performed by licensed acupuncturists.
Thank you.

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This bill, currently in the Senate Higher Education Committe, proposes that podiatrists can become certified in acupuncture with only a 300-hour training. The 300-hour acupuncture certification program is currently available in our state to the physicans and the dentists. The 1974 law, which allowed for the certification of physicians and dentists in acupuncture, was intended to promote research into this new field, not provide a fast track to patient care. At that time, it was not known what training was required to learn and practice acupuncture properly. But 27 years later, it is very clear that 300 hours is far from adequate.
The average accredited acupuncture program in US requires two years of college as a pre-requisite and 2,600 hours of professional master-level training (1,725 hours is minimum).
The theory and practice of Oriental Medicine differs significantly from the theory and practice of Western Medicine. 300-hour training will not make up for this difference. Additionally, this bill would not require podiatrists to pass the national Boards in Acupuncture, thus setting different standards for practice within the acupuncture profession. Majority of acupuncturists believe that under-trained providers would lower the level of acupuncture care and this is certainly a reson for concern.
Some of the proponets of this bill claim that the podiatric acupuncture would be limited to the foot. This argument only shows how little they understand about how Oriental Medicine is practised.
Fortunately, the previous podiatric acupuncture certification bills (S.01778 and A.03788) have never moved beyond passing the Senate in the three legislative years they have been introduced. Let's make sure that this time the bill will also not leave the Committee.

Please contact the Chair of the Higher Education Committee and express your opposition to Bills S.6788 and 0081.

NYS Senate Higher Education Committee
Sen. Kenneth P. LaValle
806 Legislative Building
Albany, NY 122248
(518)-455-3121

You may also contact the sponsor of this bill:
Sen. Kemp Hannon
609 Legislative Building
Albany, NY 122248
(518)-455-2200

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The Bill that was first introduced in the House of Representatives in March 1997 by Rep. Maurice Hinchey would amend the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of qualified acupuncturist services under both Medicare and the Federal Emplyees Health Benefits Program.
Congressman Hinchey's office emphasized that there is still a long way to go, and urged to continue writing in support of this bill.
Please contact your House Representative.

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