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.
Medicare Acupuncture Bill Update
In the November 2004 issue, we reported that HR 1477, the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act, had amassed a total of 54 co-sponsors. Since that article was published, an additional nine co-sponsors have signed on to support the legislation.
The new co-sponsors (as of October 1, 2004) are:
- Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR, 3rd District)
- Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA, 14th District)
- Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY, 2nd District)
- Rep. Darrell E. Issa (R-CA, 49th District)
- Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY, 14th District)
- Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY, 4th District)
- Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA, 37th District)
- Rep. Major R. Owens (D-NY, 11th District)
- Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-VA, 10th District)
Make sure to visit AcupunctureToday.com for additional updates on the status of HR 1477.