medicare covering acupuncture: pros and cons

[Guest guest]

medicare covering acupuncture: pros and cons

Posted by: " C. Zinnia Maravell " cmszinnia cmszinnia

Mon Mar 9, 2009 4:26 pm (PDT)

 

Medicare covering acupuncture is just one piece of a very complex situation. So

far here on the east coast medical doctors have not wanted to get into the act

although naturopathic physicians have tried to enter the field.

 

As far as I see it the more serious issue is who will be allowed to perform

acupuncture not who will pay for it. I looked at the Ph.d. programs and decided

not to pursue that degree despite the fact that I love to study because I felt

the curriculum was too focused on Western Medicine. As I read this discussion, I

am beginning to see the rational for such a focus although I think it will do

nothing to improve my skill as an acupuncturist. I am taking the Jeffrey Yuen

advanced courses in NYC and find my patient's conditions improving by leaps and

bounds as a result of using what I learn in those classes.

 

There should be some way we can all learn that valuable information and at the

same time prove to the people who control the health care industry that we know

something worth knowing. Furthermore we need to establish that this knowledge

cannot be acquired in a 200 hour program which focuses on pain mitigation.

 

Who is going to pay for the treatments. Right now I am operating a cash practice

but I have seen my new patient calls diminish to zero per week from several a

week. In this economic situation, I have just become a Blue Cross Blue Shield

preferred provider. I'll see how that works. I feel I have so much to offer to

people that I want them to be able to to afford the care.

 

If there is universal health care coverage, we need to be part of it or we will

have no new patients. The established patients will stay with us but we will be

a dying field. if we are left out, it says we have nothing to offer. If our

services were valuable, we would have been included. We will have to adapt the

best we can to the endless rules and regulations that will engulf us.

 

I agree with the commenter who said that the 15 minute rule is total nonsense

but it can be lived with. You need to go to a class on how to get along with

insurance companies.

 

What is troubling to me about the insurance situation is that they will only pay

for pain. We do so much more than treat pain. Will studies on subjects other

than pain be helpful in expanding what insurance companies will reimburse for.

Who knows. it must be remembered that an insurance company is looking for

reasons not to pay.

 

Unfortunately we as a profession have not been able to position ourselves as

major stakeholders in the health care industry nationwide.

 

Zinnia

attentive dragon

Washington, DC

[Guest guest]

Very well put. Our leadership needs to get involved with this discussion or we

will continue to remain very small and easily marginalized.

 

Michael W. Bowser, LAc

Chinese Medicine

cmszinnia

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:53:50 +0000

medicare covering acupuncture: pros and cons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

medicare covering acupuncture: pros and cons

 

Posted by: " C. Zinnia Maravell " cmszinnia cmszinnia

 

Mon Mar 9, 2009 4:26 pm (PDT)

 

 

 

Medicare covering acupuncture is just one piece of a very complex situation. So

far here on the east coast medical doctors have not wanted to get into the act

although naturopathic physicians have tried to enter the field.

 

 

 

As far as I see it the more serious issue is who will be allowed to perform

acupuncture not who will pay for it. I looked at the Ph.d. programs and decided

not to pursue that degree despite the fact that I love to study because I felt

the curriculum was too focused on Western Medicine. As I read this discussion, I

am beginning to see the rational for such a focus although I think it will do

nothing to improve my skill as an acupuncturist. I am taking the Jeffrey Yuen

advanced courses in NYC and find my patient's conditions improving by leaps and

bounds as a result of using what I learn in those classes.

 

 

 

There should be some way we can all learn that valuable information and at the

same time prove to the people who control the health care industry that we know

something worth knowing. Furthermore we need to establish that this knowledge

cannot be acquired in a 200 hour program which focuses on pain mitigation.

 

 

 

Who is going to pay for the treatments. Right now I am operating a cash practice

but I have seen my new patient calls diminish to zero per week from several a

week. In this economic situation, I have just become a Blue Cross Blue Shield

preferred provider. I'll see how that works. I feel I have so much to offer to

people that I want them to be able to to afford the care.

 

 

 

If there is universal health care coverage, we need to be part of it or we will

have no new patients. The established patients will stay with us but we will be

a dying field. if we are left out, it says we have nothing to offer. If our

services were valuable, we would have been included. We will have to adapt the

best we can to the endless rules and regulations that will engulf us.

 

 

 

I agree with the commenter who said that the 15 minute rule is total nonsense

but it can be lived with. You need to go to a class on how to get along with

insurance companies.

 

 

 

What is troubling to me about the insurance situation is that they will only pay

for pain. We do so much more than treat pain. Will studies on subjects other

than pain be helpful in expanding what insurance companies will reimburse for.

Who knows. it must be remembered that an insurance company is looking for

reasons not to pay.

 

 

 

Unfortunately we as a profession have not been able to position ourselves as

major stakeholders in the health care industry nationwide.

 

 

 

Zinnia

 

attentive dragon

 

Washington, DC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_______________

Express your personality in color! Preview and select themes for Hotmail®.

http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/LearnMore/personalize.aspx?ocid=TXT_MSGTX_WL_\

HM_express_032009#colortheme

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hence the need to have a thorough, deep and thoughtful discussion in our

profession about values without descending into the mindless 'who are you to

talk about values' chatter that it always seems to stir up. With the winds that

are blowing, our profession is in big trouble if the people who don't want to

talk about values rule the day.

Daniel

 

Chinese Medicine , " C. Zinnia Maravell "

<cmszinnia wrote:

>

> medicare covering acupuncture: pros and cons

> Posted by: " C. Zinnia Maravell " cmszinnia cmszinnia

> Mon Mar 9, 2009 4:26 pm (PDT)

>

> Medicare covering acupuncture is just one piece of a very complex situation.

So far here on the east coast medical doctors have not wanted to get into the

act although naturopathic physicians have tried to enter the field.

>

> As far as I see it the more serious issue is who will be allowed to perform

acupuncture not who will pay for it. I looked at the Ph.d. programs and decided

not to pursue that degree despite the fact that I love to study because I felt

the curriculum was too focused on Western Medicine. As I read this discussion, I

am beginning to see the rational for such a focus although I think it will do

nothing to improve my skill as an acupuncturist. I am taking the Jeffrey Yuen

advanced courses in NYC and find my patient's conditions improving by leaps and

bounds as a result of using what I learn in those classes.

>

> There should be some way we can all learn that valuable information and at the

same time prove to the people who control the health care industry that we know

something worth knowing. Furthermore we need to establish that this knowledge

cannot be acquired in a 200 hour program which focuses on pain mitigation.

>

> Who is going to pay for the treatments. Right now I am operating a cash

practice but I have seen my new patient calls diminish to zero per week from

several a week. In this economic situation, I have just become a Blue Cross Blue

Shield preferred provider. I'll see how that works. I feel I have so much to

offer to people that I want them to be able to to afford the care.

>

> If there is universal health care coverage, we need to be part of it or we

will have no new patients. The established patients will stay with us but we

will be a dying field. if we are left out, it says we have nothing to offer. If

our services were valuable, we would have been included. We will have to adapt

the best we can to the endless rules and regulations that will engulf us.

>

> I agree with the commenter who said that the 15 minute rule is total nonsense

but it can be lived with. You need to go to a class on how to get along with

insurance companies.

>

> What is troubling to me about the insurance situation is that they will only

pay for pain. We do so much more than treat pain. Will studies on subjects other

than pain be helpful in expanding what insurance companies will reimburse for.

Who knows. it must be remembered that an insurance company is looking for

reasons not to pay.

>

> Unfortunately we as a profession have not been able to position ourselves as

major stakeholders in the health care industry nationwide.

>

> Zinnia

> attentive dragon

> Washington, DC

>