A student stands over a patient, needle poised. They have a “perfect” prescription: a textbook combination of points harvested from a lecture slide on chronic lower back pain. But as the needle meets the skin, the student hesitates - the symptom of a quiet habit that has taken hold of our profession. We routinely say we “prescribe” points. It sounds efficient. It echoes the authority of biomedical culture and fits neatly into the insurance field. But vocabulary is never neutral; repeated long enough, it dictates behavior.
AOM Alliance Announces Endorsement for Reintroduction of the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act
Speaking on behalf of the board of directors of the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance, executive director Michael R. McCoy announced the Alliance's endorsement and support of the reintroduction of the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act as proposed by Representative Maurice Hinchey of New York and a number of co-sponsors.
"This bill marks an important step forward in the recognition and acceptance of acupuncture as a key modality in the American health care system," said Dr. McCoy. "The board is gratified that our legislators have heard the growing demand of the public for access to our medicine and its safe and effective treatment modalities."
Dr. McCoy indicated that beyond endorsement, the Alliance will urge its members and friends to support the legislation by contacting their representatives and senators.