Bill > S2886

This bill proposes several key provisions related to the practice of acupuncture in Massachusetts: 1. It establishes a Commission on Acupuncture and Wellness within the Department of Public Health to study and make recommendations on integrating acupuncture services into the state's healthcare system, with a focus on pain management, substance abuse treatment, and wellness promotion. 2. It requires all individual and group health insurance policies, health service contracts, and health maintenance organization (HMO) plans delivered, issued, or renewed in the Commonwealth to provide coverage for acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine-based diagnosis and treatment in the areas of pain management, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse treatment, and nausea. 3. It prohibits the Insurance Commissioner from approving any health insurance policy that does not provide the required acupuncture coverage. 4. It also mandates that the Group Insurance Commission, which provides health coverage to state employees and retirees, include acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine coverage in its plans. 5. Finally, the bill stipulates that third-party payers cannot differentiate reimbursement rates for acupuncture services based on the provider type, and that only licensed acupuncturists or medical doctors can be reimbursed for acupuncture services.

Budget and Finance

Joint Committee on Public Health (J)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2886