Welcome from the
American Society of Acupuncturists!
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Dear Colleagues, Supporters, and Friends,
The American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) is delighted to present our first newsletter! We begin with a review of our accomplishments in 2017 and will be making this a monthly publication that will help showcase some of the extensive work being done by the organization both at the national and state levels. The ASA represents a new level of collaboration and coordination in the effort to make acupuncture and all of East Asian medicine better known and more widely available nationally. We especially believe that the care provided by Licensed Acupuncturists (and all state equivalents) represents the pinnacle of the training in this discipline, and we hope all Americans will be able to enjoy the benefits of receiving care from this highly trained group of professionals. Please take time to explore the work presented here, and do consider supporting us as a member of the public. If you are a Licensed Acupuncturist or Student of Acupuncture, we encourage you to join your state association to support the growth of this vibrant profession. Please also share this newsletter with anyone you think might have interest! We hope to showcase the work being done and also key issues of importance as far and wide as we can. The American Acupuncture Industry needs your support, as does ASA. Together we can change the face of the American Health Care System for the better, offering more natural, non-pharmacologic treatment options for a wide variety of health conditions. This medicine blends brilliantly with mainstream medicine, and together we can create a full-spectrum medical system that supports our citizens at all levels.
In health,
David W. Miller, MD, LAc
Chair, American Society of Acupuncturists
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Acupuncturists hold Congressional Briefing: Benefits of Acupuncture for Addiction & Pain
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ASA, in collaboration with AAPAS, held their first Congressional briefing with sponsors Congressman Tim Ryan and Congresswoman Judy Chu. The briefing highlighted the efficacy of acupuncture for pain and addiction and encouraged the use of licensed acupuncturists in mainstream medical environments to help combat the current opioid crisis in the US. Of the event, Congressman Ryan said, "Let's do it again next year...EVERY year. We'll just keep building it out!"
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15% off everything in our Tonic Formulas category with code “ASAtonic”.
Valid on in-stock items only. One time use, may not be combined with other discounts or offers
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ASA Council
2nd Annual Business Meeting
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The ASA held our second annual business meeting held in Philadelphia, PA, March 17-18, 2017. The meeting was attended by 25 state associations represented by 38 delegates, as well as representatives from ACAOM, CCAOM, NCCAOM, TCMAAA/ATCMA, ANF, and the AAMA.
We had Skype/GoToMeeting addresses by Brent Foster, JD, POCA, AAAOM, ANF, and Dan Wen of TCMZone.
Sponsors included Marilyn Allen and the American Acupuncture Council, Modern Acupuncture, Golden Flower Chinese Herbs, AcuClaims, Lhasa OMS, China Herb, Crane Herbs, TCM Zone & our own member organization, the Association for Professional Acupuncture of Pennsylvania.
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ASA REPRESENTATION OF ACUPUNCTURE INDUSTRY IN AMERICA & ABROAD
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2017 State Legislation Passage
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Synopysis
:
- This act amended the Regulatory Sunset Act by extending the repeal date of the Acupuncture Practice Act from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2028.
- It amended the Acupuncture Practice Act by changing the short title of the Act to the Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine Practice Act and allowing for the practice of East Asian medicine.
- It made changes to the definition of "acupuncture" and "acupuncturist" and defined "East Asian medicine".
- It adds herbal medicine to the scope of practice, as well as dietary counselling based on traditional medicine, numerous adjunct techniques, and defines dry needling as within the scope, practice, and definition of acupuncture.
- It allows emergency access to acupuncture providers from out of state in cases of disaster.
- The Act added provisions concerning guest practitioners of acupuncture and East Asian medicine. It changed the name of the Board of Acupuncture to the Board of Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine and allows licensed practitioners of East Asian medicine to be members of the Board.
- It provided that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall issue a license to an applicant that submits proof of a demonstration of status as a Diplomate of Acupuncture or Diplomate of Oriental Medicine with the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) or an equivalent credential approved by the Department (rather than passing the NCCAOM examination or an equivalent examination).
- It made changes in provisions concerning titles and designations that can be used by those licensed under the Act.
- It made conforming changes in the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act, the Tattoo and Body Piercing Establishment Registration Act, and the Professional Service Corporation Act. and made other changes.
- Effective immediately.
Synopsis of SB2214:
- The Act repealed Section 73-71-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, which provided for physician referral to and supervision of acupuncture practitioners and repealed the sunset of the Acupuncture Practice Act.
- The Act provided that an acupuncture practitioner may perform acupuncture on a patient only if the patient was evaluated by a physician, as appropriate, for the condition being treated within six months before the date that acupuncture is performed.
- It provided that a practitioner obtain a written statement signed by the patient on a form prescribed by State Board of Medical Licensure stating that the patient has been evaluated by a physician within the prescribed time.
- The Act authorizes a practitioner to perform acupuncture on a patient for certain conditions without an evaluation from a physician (Smoking, Weight Loss, or Substance Abuse to the extent permitted by adopted regulations.
- Act was in effect after July 1, 2017
Synopsis:
- The Act amended section 38-2058, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska; to change requirements for the practice of acupuncture and to repeal the original section.
- It struck the following language: It is unlawful to practice acupuncture on a person in this state unless the acupuncturist is licensed to practice acupuncture under the Uniform Credentialing Act and has been presented by the patient with a prior letter of referral from or a medical diagnosis and evaluation completed by a practitioner licensed to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery within ninety days immediately preceding the date of an initial acupuncture treatment.
- It added the following language: An acupuncturist licensed under the Uniform Credentialing Act shall refer a patient to an appropriate practitioner when the problem of the patient is beyond the training, experience, or competence of the acupuncturist.
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ASA Members: State Associations in Action
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North Carolina Society of Acupuncture & Asian Medicine (NCSAAM)
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NCSAAM
conducted a successful Legislative Day at the N.C. Legislature; NCSAAM proved 45 demonstration treatments to legislators, staff members, legislative aides and lobbyists. It was a great way for people to experience acupuncture first hand, ask specific questions and learn about acupuncture in a safe and open environment. The NCSAAM also organized many meetings between acupuncturists and their local state senators and representatives. These personal meetings are the most powerful ways to make a connection and explain the issues affecting our profession in NC.
David Peters and our contract lobbying team met with Walker Wilson, Chief Policy Advisor of DHHS, Dr. Nancy Henley, Chief Medical Officer of NC DMA and Dr. Susan Kansagra, Section Chief of the Chronic Injury and Disease Section. It was an engaging meeting and all were provided with a number of articles and studies demonstrating the success of acupuncture as treatment for pain management.
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NCSAAM formally endorsed
The Strengthen Opioid misuse Prevention Act (STOP Act), introduced in the N.C. to ensure smarter prescribing and dispensing of highly-additive prescription drugs. With this endorsement, we sent letters to all 97 sponsors of the STOP Act encouraging them to consider acupuncture as part of the treatment solution
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David Peters, Board President, and Linda Tolentino, Board Vice President, participated in the N.C. DHHS Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) Meeting discussing what insurers can do to combat the opioid crisis. Because of their participation, acupuncture is one of the key solutions to be considered.
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NCSAAM
2nd Annual Walk-A-Thon
Raises $8K
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Wisconsin Society of Certified Acupuncturists
(WISCA)
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Our lobbyist led members in a session on Advocacy 101 and followed with meetings with our legislative Representatives.
WISCA Strategic Plan published
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Advocacy for WI Acupuncturists:
- AB 260: Amended April 2017 WISCA members wrote to key legislative Representatives in opposition to the bill. WISCA Board Members gave oral testimony at Assembly Health Committee hearing. WISCA specifically opposed language allowing chiropractors to practice ‘chiropractic acupuncture’ with 200 hours of training and ‘chiropractic dry needling’ with 25 hours of training. Because of our efforts, the bill was amended to remove all language related to acupuncture and dry needling.
- WISCA is currently engaged in dialogue with key policy makers related to the opioid epidemic in Wisconsin.
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V
ermont
Acupuncture Association
(VTAA)
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The VTAA completed
Vermont's Acupuncture for Chronic Pain in Medicaid population. The primary investigator was Robert Davis, VTAA former President, co-chair of Society for Acupuncture Research. The results will be presented in an upcoming publication.
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Michigan Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine
(MAAOM)
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4th annual MAAOM Seminar:
Dr. Robert Chu
"Master Tung's Acupuncture for Internal Medicine."
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Proclamation of AOM Awareness Day by Michigan Governor Snyder
(4th Year in a Row!)
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Ohio Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
(OAAOM)
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New Medicaid Rule in Ohio
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The Ohio Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
(OAAOM) successfully changed Medicaid to include acupuncture in 2017. This is a huge step forward for our profession and opportunity for us to help address the opioid epidemic in our state by providing safe and effective care. Along with this change, OAAOM has run a very effective public relations campaign that has involved multiple articles in print, online media, radio and initiated a much larger Associated Press article that is now being developed across multiple states. Acupuncture is no longer "alternative" medicine. It is an integral part of safe and effective patient care. We are thankful to the many people within Ohio and across the country that have helped make all of this possible.
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Acupuncture Society of Massachusetts
(ASM)
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The Acupuncture Society of Massachusetts
was at the Statehouse in Boston twice this year for Acupuncture Days on the Hill. Representative Smitty Pignatelli and Senator Julian Cyr spoke about the bills:
At our most recent event we provided 20 acupuncture treatments and staffers who had little time chose to come just for the treatments as they valued the opportunity for care We proposed three bills and have had legislators propose others that included language supporting insurance coverage for acupuncture as part of a larger healthcare bill and as part of a bill to cover non pharmacologic pain control. The collaborative white paper from the ASA and AAPAS and the briefing report has been valuable in our testimony and advocacy for our bills.
The ASM also brought a petition to the Board of Allied Health which oversees PTs, OTs and ATcs asking them to promulgate a rule that dry needling is outside the scope of practice for physical therapists. No action was taken. The Board of Registration in Nursing in MA promulgated a rule in June 2017 that dry needling is outside the scope of practice for RNs “as it involves the procedure of acupuncture.”
Members of our organization testified to scope of practice regulation changes for the Acupuncture Act in MA and we are awaiting the outcome of our testimony before the Board of Registration in Medicine.
Members of the ASM also worked to gain access to Attorney General Maura Healey to bring her attention to the unregulated and unlicensed practice of acupuncture in MA by allied health professionals under the pseudonym dry needling. We are addressing the issue through the AGs office, through legislation and through the BOAH which oversees physical therapists.
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Maryland
Acupuncture
Society
(MAS)
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Maryland Acupuncture Society Hosts Successful Lobby Day 2017
Elected officials and staff of the Maryland General Assembly enjoyed a few moments of healthy bliss during the Acupuncture De-Stress Treatment and Lobby Day on January 31st. Thirty-two L.Acs and acupuncture students along with the MAS lobbyist team accomplished an ambitious day in Annapolis educating our elected officials on the benefits of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine with one-on-one constituent meetings, mini de-stress treatments, and immune boosting and energizing food samples based on Chinese nutritional theory.
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Far Left: Elected officials and staff sign in for treatment; Middle: Members of MAS Lobbyist Team; Above Right: Acupuncture treatments explained; Left: MAS practitioners and student hosts.
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ASA Video:
Top 8 Things
Acupuncture Treats
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ASA Video:
Opioid Solution
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How to Get Involved with ASA
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State Association Membership:
There are many avenues to being involved with the American Society of Acupuncturists. To enjoy the full benefits of membership, we encourage Licensed Acupuncturists to join their state association that is a member of ASA. You are considered a member of the ASA at no additional charge. State Associations that are currently members of ASA can be found
here
. State associations who are interested in membership with ASA may contact our Board Secretary LiMing Tseng at
Secretary@asacu.org
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Other Ways to Be Involved:
Licensed Practitioners and Acupuncture Students who are unaffiliated with state associations may receive information about the state and federal regulatory and legislative environments, along with newsworthy announcements about the acupuncture industry by becoming an Associate of the ASA. Options for sitting on the Council, serving on Committees, or voting are not included in this option. For more information, please contact ASA Board Member Dr. Kallie Guimond, D.OM, L.Ac at 240-432-7522 or at
Newsletter@asacu.org
. You may also sign up to receive information directly at www.asacu.org.
To Sign Up for Membership & Support Online, Visit Our Website:
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American Society of Acupuncturists | 240-432--7522 | Newsletter@asacu.org | www.ASAcu.org
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