Members’ input is always welcome to help FSOMA meet challenges to the profession like, restrictive healthcare legislation, reductions in insurance reimbursement, deregulation of vital services, increasing AOM public awareness, and creating greater opportunities for employment. The best way to voice and share your input is to participate on a committee that interests you, like, Advocacy, Membership, Insurance, Legislative, or Publishing. You can always call 800-578-4865 or email us as well.

FSOMA is practical, not political; it does not engage in partisan politics; it doesn’t support a political party; and we must engage with legislators and regulators because nobody else is working to ensure that acupuncture practice is protected for you, future licensees and all the patients who rely on this profession. Without a voice in the process it can severely impact our ability to treat our patients and get paid. 

There is bipartisan ignorance about who we are and what we can do for the health and wellbeing of Floridians.  

At the minimum and every year, FSOMA maintains professional lobbyists contracted to watch for any potential legislation that is heading towards becoming laws that could negatively impact our practice.  

This protects our scope and ability to care for patients.

There’s an old saying in the political circles in Tallahassee when asked about why we need to be there. Here’s what they had to say about any professional licensed profession. It goes like this:

“If you are not at the table, you are on the table”

This is why it is necessary to continue to represent ourselves in Tallahassee, regardless of our personal opinions about what’s wrong with the profession, the medical system, FSOMA, and other professions, etc. The only way things change is if we all come together under what we do agree on – which is continued independent access for our patients to the full-scope ancient practice of AOM.  We need everyone to join so we can continue to make our representation in Florida’s State Capitol strong – join today.

We all need to meet with our legislators, regardless of their party, every summer to build awareness. It is vital to be giving the same message. See our Legislative Campaign. 

FSOMA serves as a nucleus for news and advocacy related to practice in Florida. It’s directors and other volunteers regularly meet with individual legislators who listen to our message and support our medicine. Every regulated health care profession that supports a strong professional association earns big dividends, like expanded scope of practice, more access to patients, higher reimbursement levels, more jobs, higher incomes, more workplace stability, loans repayment, and overall job satisfaction. This is especially true for smaller professions like Acupuncture.   

With membership participation and fundraising revenue, FSOMA ensures that the laws and rules governing our practice continue to evolve to support practitioners and their patients. When this system breaks down and advocacy efforts fail, then bad things can happen as we recently saw in Ohio. Legislators there passed a law, that eliminated herbal medicine practice in the state, which deregulated prescribing TCM herbs and shut down the herbal medicine department at the Cleveland Clinic. Remember, everywhere a strong professional association exists, it protects and advances a profession’s interests; and the opposite is true. 

Without individual member participation and financial support from Florida Acupuncturists, this profession cannot promote or defend itself; it’s basically rudderless, adrift and at the mercy of others. Joining and volunteering is the best way to stand-up, be counted, and share your voice.

While more jobs are opening every year, gainful employment for acupuncturists remains very low.  This means the vast majority graduates will enter the profession in private practice as small business entrepreneurs. While job opportunities exist, these are still not plentiful, but with increasing acceptance of acupuncture and eastern medicine by the public, hospitals, and medical centers the employment outlook will likely improve over the next 10 years. FSOMA supports the inclusion of acupuncture physicians in the Social Security Act, which would enable medical centers to directly bill Medicare for our services, making it easier for them to employ acupuncturists. Additionally, FSOMA is introducing legislation that aims at improving job prospects. We also provide resources and support for starting businesses.

Remember, we are all trailblazers in this profession. We all are paving the way for our future. Once we are considered providers by the Medicare system, other insurance coverage tends to follow. Whether you agree or not, participation is voluntary, and the benefits of this action by the federal government will be a positive game changer for our profession nationally. It will make us stronger, offer more employment opportunities and more patients able to receive our services. Our national organization, the ASA, has more information about this Federal Legislative initiative. 

We’re excited you’d like to be involved! Some options include:

• Become a board member
• Join a committee

There are many benefits to being a board member, including:

• Earn NCCAOM PDAs\
• Addition to your resume/ bragging rights
• Be a leader in the community – a driving force for the industry across the state

Membership in FSOMA includes membership in the ASA.