News & Advocacy
Latest News & Advocacy Articles
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UPDATED!! WAEMA Legislative Alert! RE: 2SHB 1039 Concerning physical therapists performing intramuscular needling! Bill passed House of Representatives 93/1 and is moving to Senate Health Care Committee. We need your help!
Hi All, The PT intramuscular or dry needling bill, 2SHB 1039 passed out of the House of Representatives with no requested amendments on Monday with yeas, 94; nays, 1; absent, 0; excused, 3. (View Roll Calls) Chaiya Sherman, WAEMA President, and I met with the bill sponsor for an hour and a half this past Sunday afternoon to discuss potential amendments to the bill, but to no avail. The bill now heads to the Senate Health Care Committee for a public hearing sometime after March 8th. There is...
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WAEMA Legislative Alert for 2SHB 1039 Concerning physical therapists performing intramuscular needling has a public hearing on Senate Health Care Committee on March 14th at 8 am. We need your help!
Hi All, The “Physical Therapists Dry Needle” bill passed out of the House of Representatives and the Senate Health Care Committee has now scheduled a public hearing on 2SHB 1039 on March 14th at 8:00 am. WAEMA is still working hard to amend the bill and could use your support! So far over 400 PTs have signed in to support the bill as Pro… we need to get as many Con positions noted on the record as we can! ….and here is how you do it! Click this link: Committee Sign in or Testify to go to...
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Thank you for your support to amend 2SHB 1039 – Concerning physical therapists performing intramuscular needling!
Your calls to state legislators made a huge difference at the public hearing in the Senate Health Care Committee on March 14th! Over 850 people signed in Con for the hearing and about 950 Physical Therapists (PTs) signed in Pro. There were also numerous Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Practitioners (AEMPs) that were able to testify in support of our amendment request. This was a huge showing of strength for the Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine Profession and we were successful in getting the...
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Congressman Josh Gottheimer Supports HR3133
Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D, NJ-5) has become a cosponsor of bill HR3133, the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act of 2023. Gottheimer is now one of seventeen representatives nationwide supporting this bill. Gottheimer represents New Jersey’s 5th congressional district, which runs across the northern border of New Jersey and includes portions of Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex counties. What is HR3133 about?Bill HR3133 Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act of 2023 is a proposed amendment of the Social...
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OPTUM CLAW BACKS FOR CODES 97139, 97039 WERE IN ERROR
ASA Insurance Chair, Mori West, has issued the following update: Please disseminate this in ALL states that have Optum as the carrier for the VA CCN - Regions 1,2,3 . The following states are NOT affected: CA, MV, AZ, UT, OR, WA, ID, MT, WY, CO NM, TX, AK, HI. Optum WAS sending out recoupment letters for codes 97139, 97039, going back to 2022. THIS WAS AN ERROR. They will recoup for these codes for any dates of service AFTER 2/23/2024, as those codes were removed from the list of authorized...
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Asheville Wellness Practitioner Response – Volunteer and Donations Requested
***Asking for help: locations, volunteers, donations for Wellness Response effort*** We know that traumatic stress is one of the primary causes of modern illness, and every member of the Western North Carolina community is experiencing that stress right now. Now and in the coming weeks/months is our chance to step forward and help our community. Recovery from this catastrophe will be long, difficult, and folks of all stripes will need us to work together and help them get through this. In...
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December 2024 Newsletter
From the Chair | The Latest | ASA Joint Developments | ASA Sponsors | Ads | State Associations Updates From the Chair Dear Colleagues, As 2024 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting with pride on a year filled with growth, progress, and impactful achievements for the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA). This has been a fruitful year for our dedicated 100% volunteer staff. Together, we have advanced our mission to elevate the acupuncture profession and in doing so, strengthened the...
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READ: The Answers to Ten FAQ’s about Medicare
Acupuncturists and MedicareFrequently Asked Questions BackgroundMedicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 and older, as well as those with disabilities and certain significant medical conditions. It is administered federally, and recognition of provider groups requires an act of Congress to amend the Social Security Act (SSA). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began covering acupuncture services for chronic lower back pain in January 2020. CMS...
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WATCH: ASA AND NCCAOM WEBINAR – 2025 Strategy for Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act – Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Joining your state association supports local, state, and national efforts to present the profession as subject matter experts of acupuncture while improving standards of education, practice, doctorate programs, continuing education, credentialing, and privileging.
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The ASA and the NCCAOM Endorse The Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act Act of 2025 (H.R. 1667)
The Acupuncture for our Seniors Act would increase Medicare beneficiaries’ access to acupuncturists, provide more non-pharmacological options for pain relief, and enable growth of the acupuncture profession. Washington, D.C., February 28, 2025 – The American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) applaud U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) for re-introducing the Acupuncture for Our...
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Joining your state association supports local, state, and national efforts to present the profession as subject matter experts of acupuncture while improving standards of education, practice, doctorate programs, continuing education, credentialing, and privileging.