NATIONAL ADVOCACY

The American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)^® appreciate the opportunity to respond to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) February 2022 request for comments on its proposed clinical practice guideline, Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids – 2022 [87 FR 7838].1 Together, the ASA and the NCCAOM represent over 40,000 professional acupuncturists across the United States and seek to ensure that practitioners, patients, and payers are aware of, and have access to, evidence-based non-pharmaceutical pain-management treatments.

For details, click here.

The American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)^® appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s (PCORI) proposed Research Agenda.

For details, click here.

The NCCAOM teamed up with the ASA to respond to PCORI’s proposed national priorities for health research for 2022-2032. The NCCAOM and the ASA will continue to engage PCORI as it develops it forthcoming research agenda to encourage acupuncture-specific research that could help enhance the current evidence base.

For details, click here.

On July 29, 2021, U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-California) introduced H.R. 4803, the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act. H.R. 4803 would instruct the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to recognize qualified acupuncturists as Medicare providers. Medicare recognition would enable eligible acupuncturists to provide covered services to Medicare beneficiaries (generally those 65+) without supervision and bill Medicare directly for these services. The NCCAOM Advocacy Team and the ASA have created an Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act Fact Sheet to provide helpful information.

For details, click here.

In its response to AHRQ’s Systematic Evidence Review of Integrated Pain Management techniques, the NCCAOM highlighted acupuncture’s existing evidence base and recommended that AHRQ support focused acupuncture research to further demonstrate acupuncture as an effective pain-management method. To read the NCCAOM response please click here.

For details, click here.

A bipartisan bill to extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application period became law on March 30, 2021. The law pushes the PPP-application deadline from March 31 to May 31, 2021, and extends the PPP loan-authorization period to June 30, 2021. To read the NCCAOM and ASA’s joint update on the extension please click here.

For details, click here.

The American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)^® appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health’s (NCCIH) 2021-2025 Strategic Plan draft. Together, the ASA and the NCCAOM represent over 20,000 professional acupuncturists across the United States. The ASA and NCCAOM applaud the NCCIH for emphasizing whole-person health and research, as well as the importance of integrating complementary and conventional healthcare. To read the NCCAOM & ASA response to response to NCCIH strategic plan please click here.

For details, click here.

The NCCAOM Advocacy team has an important announcement for NCCAOM Diplomates and stakeholders. The American Rescue Plan (ARP), signed into law on March 11, 2021, provides $1.9T in COVID-19 economic relief that includes new stimulus provisions and extends several CARES Act provisions from 2020. The ARP provides $1.9 trillion in COVID-19 economic relief that includes new stimulus provisions and extends several CARES Act provisions from 2020. To find out more please read the NCCAOM-ASA COVID-19 ARP Fact Sheet_March 2021.

For details, click here.

The NCCAOM Advocacy team has an important announcement for NCCAOM Diplomates and stakeholders. The Small Business Administration is currently granting employers with fewer than 20 employees exclusive access to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds. This special application period will last through Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Toread more about the Special Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Application Period click here.

For details, click here.

As an effort to introduce and establish our organizations with President Biden’s new administration, the NCCAOM has sent out letters to Acting Secretary of HHS and SAMSHA informing increasing awareness of, and access to, acupuncture services particularly for pain-management, substance abuse, nausea, post-operative recovery, and mental health issues.

For details, click here.

As part of the federal and state efforts to provide pandemic-related unemployment assistance, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (the December 2020 COVID Stimulus package) created the Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) Program to reach more self-employed individuals. Read more about the Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation Program and its eligibility criteria here.

The NCCAOM continues to update its COVID-19 Resource Page, which provides Diplomates information about available resources, state and federal initiatives, and guidance for seeking small-business support.

For details, click here.

In response to the Consolidation Appropriations Act signed into law last night, the NCCAOM^® and American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) have prepared a Factsheet overview of the Year-End Stimulus Bill to Provide Additional COVID-19 Relief.

The NCCAOM continues to update its COVID-19 Resource Page, which provides Diplomates information about available resources, state and federal initiatives, and guidance for seeking small-business support.

For details, click here.

The NCCAOM and ASA partnered to create a Medicare Roadmap for acupuncturists. This helpful document outlines the necessary steps to have Acupuncture recognized and covered by Medicare. To read the full Roadmap please, click here. Contact [email protected] with questions.

To read more please, click here.

Read the NCCAOM’s response to Medicare’s proposed crosswalk for CPT codes of 97810, 97811, 97812, and 97814 and dry needling CPT codes. The NCCAOM opposes the proposed crosswalk and makes the case for acupuncture’s valuation in its letter. If you haven’t already, voice your opposition to this proposal here.  Read the NCCAOM’s letter to learn more. Contact [email protected] with questions.

To read more please, click here.

The American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) are pleased to announce efforts to recognize acupuncturists as Medicare providers. Medicare recognition is a logical next step for our growing profession, especially as the healthcare system looks for non-pharmaceutical options for pain management. Learn more about and contact the NCCAOM with any COVID-19 and advocacy-related questions: [email protected].

To read more please, click here.

As COVID-19 continues to affect the acupuncture profession, the NCCAOM and the ASA developed a quick COVID-19 Economic Resource Document to provide guidance and updates on current small-business relief options available to acupuncturists. The NCCAOM and the ASA continue to monitor federal efforts to provide additional relief and economic-stimulus measures in light of the ensuring pandemic. As always, we are here to help. Learn more about the NCCAOM’s COVID-19 resources and contact the NCCAOM with any COVID-19 and advocacy-related questions: [email protected].

To read more please, click here.

As a proud member of the Voices for Non-Opioid Choices Coalition, the NCCAOM is pleased to lend its support to the NO PAIN Act, a bill that would provide incentives for hospitals, surgical centers, and physicians to offer non-opioid and non-pharmacologic post-surgery pain-management options.  Support H.R. 5172/S. 3067 and help increase access to acupuncture services.

In July 2020, the NCCAOM partnered with the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) to provide feedback to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health’s (NCCIH) 2021-2026 Strategic Plan. The NCCAOM/ASA comments address the need for more readily available education about complementary and integrative health models, more focused research on acupuncture directed by acupuncturists—or with acupuncturists as principal investigators, and more strategic efforts to strengthen the complementary and integrative health workforce. Contact [email protected] with questions.

To read the response letter, click here.

The NCCAOM, in collaboration with the ASA leadership, responded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s request for perspectives on, and experiences with, managing acute and chronic pain, particularly as they relate to opioid use. The NCCAOM and ASA comments showcase acupuncture’s role in managing acute and chronic base, and site an evidence base for acupuncture as a viable non-pharmacologic pain-management option. The public-comment opportunity will help the CDC assess the public’s values and preferences regarding pain and pain-management strategies. Read the NCCAOM/ASA letter on the NCCAOM’s Advocacy page. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

To read the response letter, click here.

As elective medical procedures begin restart amid COVID-19, the NCCAOM joins the national effort to encourage Congress to include the H.R. 5172/S.3067, the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act in an upcoming COVID-19 relief measure. As the nation continues to fight COVID-19, we will continue to combat opioid misuse by providing practitioners and patients more non-pharmaceutical, non-opioid acute pain-management.  The NCCAOM is a proud member of the Voices for Non-Opioid Choices Coalition and its efforts to provide more non-opioid pain-management options to practitioners and patients.

To read the response letter, click here.

The NCCAOM^®, the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA), and the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) provided a collaborative response to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) Supplemental Evidence and Data Request on Treatments for Acute Pain. The joint organizational response focused  on noninvasive non-pharmacological therapy—specifically acupuncture.

To read the response letter, click here.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the historic decision to cover acupuncture for low back pain and go out of their way to include Licensed Acupuncturists as the key group of providers for acupuncture services. NCCAOM and the American Society of Acupuncturists – ASA recognize how phenomenal these actions are.

To read the response letter, click here.

The NCCAOM is pleased to announce its support for H.R. 5172, the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act, which would promote, and increase access to, non-opioid and therapeutic pain-management options for all outpatient surgical settings. In addition to incentivizing practitioners to use non-opioid pain-management options post-surgery through higher reimbursements, H.R. 5172 would direct the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to commission a study that would identify the limitations, gaps, access barriers, and/or Medicare-coverage and reimbursement gaps for therapeutic services such as acupuncture. The bill would then instruct CMS to provide recommendations to Congress for addressing identified limitations or barriers identified. This study would align with the Department of Health & Human Services’ Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Report.

In early December, the NCCAOM’s government relations team joined fellow Voices for Non-Opioid Choices members to promote H.R. 5172 on Capitol Hill. Introduced by Terri Sewell (D-AL) and David McKinley (R-WV), H.R. 5172 is a bipartisan effort that aligns with initiatives in H.R. 6, the SUPPORT Act, which became law in 2018. The NCCAOM will continue to advocate for, and track, the NOPAIN Act and will provide more information to Diplomates as the bill progresses.

Please contact the NCCAOM Advocacy Team with any questions.

The NCCAOM advocacy team collaborated with ASA leadership to respond to AHRQ’s Noninvasive Nonpharmacological Treatments for Chronic Pain updated draft in early November 2019. The comments identified current research gaps around acupuncture efficacy and viability, especially as a tool for reducing chronic pain and opioid overuse. The comments also strongly encourage AHRQ to commission research acupuncture research to discover a stronger evidence base for acupuncture’s effects on chronic pain by initiating more specific and thorough acupuncture studies that include—and are led by—nationally certified and licensed acupuncturists. Both groups also recommend that AHRQ and its associated research bodies further explore the dangers and costs of opioids compared to acupuncture treatments, as well as comparative effectiveness research, and other trending research nuances.

Please contact the NCCAOM Advocacy Team with any questions.

In October 2019, the NCCAOM Advocacy Committee responded to CMS’ request for information to develop an action plan for combatting opioid abuse and addiction. The NCCAOM’s comments advocated for increased access to acupuncture, reimbursement for acupuncture, and coverage for acupuncture services.

The comments also identified research gaps and opportunities to build the evidence base for acupuncture as a viable nonpharmacological treatment option for chronic pain, as well as for behavioral health. The NCCAOM comments specifically recommended that state Medicaid plans make acupuncture services available to beneficiaries, especially those with substance abuse challenges, citing several successful state programs that currently exist.

Please contact the NCCAOM Advocacy Team with any questions.

The NCCAOM Advocacy staff and Committee responded to the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health’s (NCCIH) request for information on creating an acupoints database in September 2019. The comments provided feedback on the impact of such a database on acupuncture and acupuncture research, appropriate metrics for acupoint stimulants, anatomical references and regions for acupoints, acupoint nomenclature, acupoints for treating complex diseases, outcome measures, transcutaneous peripheral stimulation paradigms, and evaluation tools.

The NCCAOM response cited research for each of these topics and recommended that NCCIH further consider the ASA’s and the SAR’s recommendations for acupuncture research.

Please contact the NCCAOM Advocacy Team with any questions.

This week, the NCCAOM joined over 600 organizations in a letter urging Congress to repeal the medical device tax by supporting S.692 and H.R.2207, the Protect Medical Innovation Act. This is indeed a bipartisan effort that has rallied Democrats and Republicans as both the Senate and the House versions of this bill have strong support from Democrat and Republican members of Congress. The medical device tax includes acupuncture needles, which the FDA designates as Class II devices. The NCCAOM recognizes the burden that this tax has on its Diplomates and their patients and will continue to advocate to repeal this burden.

Please contact the NCCAOM Advocacy Team with any questions.

Please click here for the full letter  urging Congress to repeal the medical device tax.

The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Proposed Decision Memo for Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain (cLBP) (CAG-00452N). The NCCAOM applauds CMS’ proposed decision to allow acupuncture services from an NCCAOM National Board-Certified Acupuncturist™ for Medicare beneficiaries participating in sanctioned research to determine acupuncture’s effect on cLBP. Facilitating research among Medicare beneficiaries will help strengthen the evidence base demonstrating acupuncture as an effective, safe, and affordable pain-management option.

Please click here to read more about this important initiative and collaboration.

The NCCAOM commends the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force for its final report for non-opioid, best practice options to manage acute pain and recognizing and supporting non-pharmaceutical pain management options such as acupuncture.

Please click here to read the NCCAOM letter.

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The NCCAOM is pleased to join the Voices for Non-Opioid Choices coalition dedicated to increasing patient access to non-opioid therapies and approaches to managing acute pain, where addiction can start. NCCAOM will be promoting acupuncture services as non-pharmaceutical approaches to pain management and addiction.

Please go to www.nonopioidchoices.org read more about this important initiative and collaboration.

The NCCAOM have submitted comments on the current comments on the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force’s draft report. We appreciate the Task Force’s commitment to addressing the country’s pain and opioid crisis and look forward to helping expand the utilization of non-pharmacological treatments for pain through acupuncture. The comments submitted to HHS are available at link below:

View the NCCAOM submission to the HHS