SB 573 Support Letter
June 20, 2002
The Honorable Helen Thomson
Chair, Assembly Health Committee
State Capitol, Room 6005
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
phone: (916) 319-2008 fax: (916) 319-2108
Re: SB 573 (Burton) - Insurance Coverage for Acupuncture - Support
Dear Assembly Member Thomson:
Many patients are denied access to cost effective acupuncture services by their health insurers, often being forced to pay out of pocket for treatments that actually help their condition. It is common for patients to be prescribed drugs by their physician, only to find that they cannot take them for their pain because they cause stomach pain or mental fatigue, and then only mask their symptoms until time heals their injuries.
SB 573 would require every health care service plan, and every disability insurer issuing policies on a groupwide basis, to provide acupuncture coverage, with specified exceptions. This could have the effect of slowing the upward spiral of overall health care costs currently being driven up by expensive drugs.
Thank you for your consideration. Please register my support for SB 573 (Burton).
Sincerely,
cc: Senator John Burton
Council of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Associations (fax : 800-388-2928)