CAOMA Letter to Budget Committees

May 15, 2003 CAOMA submits a Medi-Cal Optional Benefits letter to Assembly and Senate Budget Committees.

Assemblywoman Judy Chu
State Capitol, Room 2148

Sacramento, CA 95814

RE:    Medi-Cal coverage for Acupuncture - Support

Dear Dr. Chu and Committee Members:

On behalf of the ethnically diverse Licensed Acupuncturists of California, our schools, students, and patients we serve, we wish to voice our support for continued coverage for acupuncture services under Medi-Cal. We oppose the Governor’s proposed cuts to Medi-Cal optional benefits, provider reimbursement, and eligibility.

There are communities of low income and non-English speaking Asian-Americans who rely upon their professional acupuncturist for basic health care services that they would not otherwise have access to. To deny them coverage would be a travesty, considering that the poor and uninsured are already at a higher risk of health-related problems.

Medi-Cal coverage for acupuncture allows a number of Chinese and Korean language Californians the comfort of seeing health care practitioners who speak their language and are familiar with their customs. The majority of these patients are treated for pain, which is a terrible thing to have to live with, but for some of them, pain might be a symptom of a more serious condition, such as cancer, that an acupuncturist can identify and refer them for proper treatment, in some cases preventing an early or unnecessary death.

Furthermore, some acupuncture schools rely upon Medi-Cal patients to provide teaching opportunities for their students. In fact, one school has indicated that they would have to cut student enrollment by up to 13% if they were to lose their Medi-Cal patients. This would be a sad and needless loss to both the students and to the community they serve.

Acupuncture is cost-effective when compared to other options. The Medi-Cal reimbursement rate for acupuncture is very low, yet any health care coverage is better than none at all. Finally, acupuncture services make up such a small portion of the MediCal budget, that it can be economically preserved, even when widespread cost-cutting efforts are necessary.

Please keep acupuncture coverage in MediCal.

Sincerely,

Michelle Lau, LAc, PhD

President, CAOMA

CC:    Governor Gray Davis

Sample Medi-Cal Support Letter