By
admin
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Published
October 23, 2012
By Brenda Duran, Senior Associate Editor
Acupuncture will be considered an “essential health benefit” in California and will be covered by individual and small group health plans starting in 2014. On Sept. 30, Gov. Jerry Brown signed measures SB 951 and AB 1453, which included acupuncture to be covered under the federal health reform also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that was signed into law on March 23, 2010. The health care law will require all insurance plans to cover a specific set of benefits. The health law includes 10 broad categories that must be included, leaving the specifics to every state. The legislation establishes the minimum health benefits that must be offered to consumers. The two measures included acupuncture as an essential health benefit that the state can begin to offer through federally subsidized plans for individuals and families as well as unsubsidized plans. According to the plan, patients would pay a $30 co-pay for acupuncture services to treat “nausea and chronic pain.” This is the first step to full implementation of the ACA in the state of California. During his term as California governor in the 1970s, Gov. Brown had legalized the practice of acupuncture and strongly supported the rights of chiropractors, osteopaths and lay midwives. During the past year, the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) and many of its national and state partners were actively engaged in the public debate on the definition of Essential Health Benefits (EHB). The AAAOM EHB Task Force had submitted a Summary Report to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in support of acupuncture as a potentially-covered EHB. In that report, the group outlined both the criteria HHS should use to determine specifics of the EHB package and the benefits of including acupuncture in this benefit package. The core of the message was that acupuncture increases patient choice and improves overall cost-effectiveness of American healthcare through prevention and its integration with mainstream medicine. The AAAOM EHB Task Force also worked with the office of Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) to designate acupuncture as a covered as an essential health benefit under PPACA. After running a national letter-writing campaign, the group was able to gather 23,000 letters, which were sent to HHS to comment on the first EHB bulletin.
Read more on this campaign: www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=32458
By
xia
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Published
September 12, 2012
Traditional Chinese Medicine accounts for specific balancing treatments in preparation for each season of the year. In Yellow Empero’s Canon Internal Medicine (tr. by Nelson Liansheng Wu and Andrew Qi Wu, China Science & Technology Press, 1997), Chapter 1 entitled “On Human Preserving Health Energy in Ancient Times”, the Yellow Emperor asked of Qibo, the Taoist Master, “…people in ancient times could all survive to more than one hundred years old…What is the reason?” The Master answered: “Those who knew the way of keeping a good health in ancient times always kept in their behavior in daily life in accordance with the nature….They were able to modulate their daily life in harmony with the way of recuperating the essence and vital energy, thus they could master and practices the way of preserving good health.” This is further discussed in Chapter 2 “On Preserving Health in Accordance with the Four Seasons.” Therefore, each of the four seasons is a preparation for the coming seasonal period. For example, ten days before or after September 22, 2012 would be ideal for patients to receive an acupuncture treatment, in order to balance their vital energy for the fall season. This is especially important for those who were born in Dragon year, Dog year, Ox year and Sheep year. Even if you are feeling very healthy, it is a good practice to routinely maintain your health
By
xia
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Published
April 7, 2012
Anson: I have been seeing Dr. Che for several years now. Prior to Dr. Che, I was seeing another acupuncturist only when I had my periodic severe allergic reactions that resulted in full body hives for long periods of time. At the time, I was only seeking immediate relief when I should have also been seeking for the root cause of my condition.
Dr. Che took the time to educate me on the causes of my condition and proceeded to treat me accordingly. Since I started seeing Dr. Che, I have not had even one occurrence of hives. In addition, Dr. Che has also been able to help me with my history of back and shoulder pain that was escalated after a severe car accident. In addition, I always feel a sense of well being and an overall increase in energy whenever I receive treatment.
Dr. Che is extremely knowledgeable and thorough. She has also always been very encouraging and supportive with me and has made a dramatic positive impact in my health. I have full trust in Dr. Che and highly recommend her practice.
By
admin
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Published
March 28, 2012
By Dr. Che, Xia Lic. Ac. & Dipl.O.M.(NCCAOM)
Published in the Journal of CAMA(California Acupuncture Medical Association) Monthly May, 2010
Introduction: In this case, the patient has had unrelenting severe back and leg pain even after two epidurals within a five month period at Kaiser Permanente Hospital. Referred by his friend, he came to see me in wheelchair accompanied by his family. While treating him for the back and leg pain, an unexpected result occurred regarding his other medical problem of skin cancer which he had been struggling with for over 30 years. In this article, I am documenting the procedure and theoretical background for the treatment of this patient. At the writing of this article, the patient is attending his third 12-visit course of treatment. The first course was three times per week from Jan 22,2010 to Feb.17,2010; the second was two times per week from Feb.24,2010 to April 2,2010. The enlightenment experienced from this case may inspire further research to learn how these ancient theories may benefit more people. This paper includes a small bibliography and keywords for the reader to pursue further understanding of the concepts discussed.
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By
admin
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Published
August 11, 2011
Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of medical problems. Below are some of the health concerns that acupuncture can effectively treat:
- Addiction
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Chronic fatigue
- Colitis
- Common cold
- Constipation
- Dental pain
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Digestive trouble
- Dizziness
- Dysentery
- Emotional problems
- Eye problems
- Facial palsy
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- Fatigue
- Fertility
- Fibromyalgia
- Gingivitis
- Headache
- Hiccough
- Incontinence
- Indigestion
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Low back pain
- Menopause
- Menstrual irregularities
- Migraine
- Morning sickness
- Nausea
- Osteoarthritis
- Pain
- PMS
- Pneumonia
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- Reproductive problems
- Rhinitis
- Sciatica
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Shoulder pain
- Sinusitis
- Sleep disturbances
- Smoking cessation
- Sore throat
- Stress
- Tennis elbow
- Tonsillitis
- Tooth pain
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Urinary tract infections
- Vomiting
- Wrist pain
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By
admin
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Published
August 11, 2011
Today, acupuncturists undertake three to four years of extensive and comprehensive graduate training at nationally certified schools. All acupuncturists must pass a national exam and meet strict guidelines to practice in every state.
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By
admin
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Published
August 11, 2011
Acupuncture is extremely safe. It is an all-natural, drug-free therapy, yielding no side effects just feelings of relaxation and well-being. There is little danger of infection from acupuncture needles because they are sterile, used once, and then discarded.
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By
admin
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Published
August 11, 2011
Insurance coverage varies from state to state. Contact your insurance provider to learn what kind of care is covered. Here are a few questions to ask:
- Will my plan cover acupuncture?
- How many visits per calendar year?
- Do I need a referral?
- Do I have a co-pay?
- Do I have a deductible?
- If yes, has it been met?
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By
admin
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Published
August 11, 2011
Rates vary and depend upon what procedures are performed. It is best to consult with your acupuncturist about costs.
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