Guest guest Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Zinnia: 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. Zinnia, Would you please tell us more about these classes: where are they held; how often do you meet; etc. Thank you. Kathleen --- On Wed, 3/11/09, C. Zinnia Maravell <cmszinnia wrote: C. Zinnia Maravell <cmszinnia medicare covering acupuncture: pros and cons Chinese Medicine Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 6:53 AM medicare covering acupuncture: pros and cons Posted by: " C. Zinnia Maravell " cmszinnia (AT) gmail (DOT) com 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.