April 2, 2025
The Honorable Mr. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Mr. Secretary:
On behalf of the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), we extend our congratulations on your confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The ASA and the NCCAOM look forward to working with you on improving the health and wellbeing of all Americans.
The ASA and the NCCAOM represent over 33,000 acupuncturists across the United States. Acupuncturists are licensed, master’s-trained practitioners who dedicate their professional lives to helping individuals manage both acute and chronic pain. Every day, acupuncturists enable Americans to recover from and manage debilitating pain while avoiding costly and more invasive interventions such as surgeries and pharmaceuticals.
To help you influence policy to improve health and wellness among all Americans, the ASA and the NCCAOM request that you prioritize and advocate for, the following critical imperatives:
- Increase access to evidence-based acupuncture services for all Americans.
- Recognize licensed and/or certified acupuncturists as the most appropriate provider of acupuncture so they can provide evidence-based acupuncture services to all Americans.
- Ensure appropriate regulation of healthcare professionals by protecting and acknowledging state licensure and national certification as the gold standard for practicing medicine in the United States.
Read the Full letter to HHS on April 2nd, 2025
April 17, 2025
Dr. Mehmet Oz
Administrator
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Administrator Oz:
On behalf of the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), we extend our congratulations on your confirmation as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The ASA and the NCCAOM look forward to working with you on improving the health and wellbeing of all Americans.
The ASA and the NCCAOM represent over 33,000 acupuncturists across the United States. Acupuncturists are licensed, master’s-trained practitioners who dedicate their professional lives to helping individuals manage both acute and chronic pain. Every day, acupuncturists enable Americans to recover from and manage debilitating pain while avoiding costly and more invasive interventions such as surgeries and pharmaceuticals.
Their work aligns with the fourth pillar of your vision for CMS to “shift the paradigm for health care from a system that focuses on sick care to one that fosters prevention, wellness, and chronic disease management.” Acupuncturists dedicate their practice to improving holistic health and wellness outcomes for all patients, and particularly, Medicare beneficiaries who often suffer from chronic pain.
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