Systems and Policies
While cost may be a barrier for some seeking care, increasing health insurance coverage and aligning care guidelines with payor policies are reducing cost-related barriers.
Barriers
According to the National Health Interview Survey, many care recipients cite cost as a reason for non-engagement or discontinued engagement in acupuncture treatment.
Improving insurance coverage for acupuncture through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services value-based reimbursement models increases access to acupuncture. Acupuncturists often cite low reimbursement rates as an economic burden to their practice.
Facilitators
Trends in insurance coverage policies indicate increased inclusion of acupuncture for chronic pain, especially lower back pain. In 2020, Medicare began coverage for acupuncture for specific chronic pain indications. Medicaid coverage trends are similarly including acupuncture services, though these policies vary significantly from state to state.
The American College of Physicians, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Veterans Health Administration are national bodies that advocate for and implement acupuncture for the treatment of chronic pain. In the context of the opioid epidemic and increasing calls for nonpharmacological pain management, acupuncture is a moderately effective, low-risk treatment option that has the potential to improve pain and reach individuals across several care settings.
In 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published an independent Standard Occupational Code (SOC) for Acupuncturists, allowing for government agencies such as the Veterans Health Administration to hire licensed acupuncturists.