Poll Results - January 2002

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Poll Results for the following Question:

What is the most important issue facing the acupuncture/Oriental medicine profession in 2002?

Results:

Legislation allowing for the practice of acupuncture by LAc's in all 50 states
23.4%
Fair and timely reimbursement for services by the insurance industry
22.4%
Inclusion in more managed care plans
14.4%
More research that validates the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture
31.1%
The formation of a national organization that represents the profession's concerns
8.7%

Total Respondents: 312

Comments:

Note: These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site.
They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling.

rosemary2@dmi.net
Fair and timely reimbursement for services by the insurance industry In some states, such as Washington, many insurance companies do offer acupuncture as a covered benefit. However in my state of Idaho, I am aware of no insurance companies that cover acupuncture when performed by a Licensed Acupuncturist. I believe that acupunncture would be more accessible to more people if it was a covered benefit in all insurance policies.

Anonymous
Inclusion in more managed care plans more inclusions mean more revenues, the rest is domino effects.

Doc_Lyle@msn.com
More research that validates the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture I especially like the articles written by Dr. John Amaro! Please keep his articles coming!

spiritseal@yahoo.com
None of the above. The most important issue for us as acupuncturists is to not fall into the same pitfalls as conventional medicine. This means that we keep our respect for all of the differences in our community. We don't insist that everyone practice the same way by mandating standerdized testing and dictating that we all have the same education. It also means that we don't become dependent on insurance carriers. The moment we do, they will begin errode our ability to give whole treatments the same way they have with western medicine.

fred_dr2002@yahoo.com
More research that validates the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture Just work on the patients correctly by finding the right points.

Anonymous
Fair and timely reimbursement for services by the insurance industry They should have a law, that states payment within 30 day.
A penalty should be double payment if it is not post marked by the 30 day deadline.

chemist@icepr.com
Legislation allowing for the practice of acupuncture by LAc's in all 50 states Acupuncture practice is to be regulated and allow formal trainned professional practice, not limited to medicine doctors. MD's are trying to control an alternative medicine that for more than 5,000 years have been practice by non-doctors in the far east.Persons with formal training as well as doctors should be allowed to practice under licensed status.Acredited acupuncture education and practice has to be required for licensing. A minimum hours of training and expirience has to be establish.
Continious education program has to be implemented in order to re-certification.
Most of todays certification organizations are controled by MD's for their greed to control all faces of medical treatment and alternative medicine .
I personally has attended formal acupuncture trainning at a Reputable Acredited Medical School and continious education program . I have been not been able to practice since I do not have a MD degree.
I have perform research , specially in acupuncture for the treatment of respiratory affection like asthma and bronchitis , with respiratory function test back up of results wich clearly demonstrate it works. Three years of data supporting result of acupuncture vs. medical teatment with drugs and bronchio-dilators has been validated (Accolate, Singulair,Proventil, Combivent, Atrovent,and respiratory therapy).
Abstrct has been published in UK.
With apropiate documentation and certifications a non-Doctor should be allowed to practice and help others to have a better life.

Anonymous
Legislation allowing for the practice of acupuncture by LAc's in all 50 states Practice and licensure should be based on the adoption of national standards (ie., graduation from an ACAOM accredited or candidate program and passage of the NCCAOM exam). This is the gold standard for licensure in virutually all recognized health care professions.

When states adopt their own requirements that are at variance with national standards, it can artificially increase tuition to students in OM program, make it more difficult for licensed practitioners to become licensed in other states, increase the time students are required to spend in school, and thus, increase costs to patients. If the field is to mature and be fully recognized nationally, basing licensure on the adoption of national standards is the way to go.

shiva_06830@altavista.com
The formation of a national organization that represents the profession's concerns Hi, I think that a national organization promoting the field of accupuncture in the states would answer the other needs posted in this poll. As a result this would be my choice.
Oriental medicine is coming more and more to be recognised as the superior healing art that it is. I am surprised that there is not National organisation representing it already, if this is in fact the case.
I for one need no proof of it's efficacy. I know it is a very effective healing system in the hands of a wise practitioner.