Sunday, December 05, 2004

Being Pricked To Death

The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture reported in their news letter this month that they might get their own board. While working on a bill for the licensure of nonphysician acupuncturists, “there was heated discussion among the different groups of nonphysician acupuncture practitioners in [Michigan], on the specifications of the credentialing process they will need to undergo, but a consensus was met. The bill mandates the formation of an acupuncture board, which will refine the details of credentialing. This board is set up to include three physicians.”

Acupuncture isn’t for me—I just don’t believe “chi” is running though us and needles will stop it and I’m very wary of any treatment that claims it can fix virtually anything—but I have no problem if other people want to pay people to stab them. I do have big problem with paying for it, the nation’s acupuncture bill runs high. Universities have acupuncture training courses, Medicare and Medicaid cover acupuncture, insurance companies are often forced by law to cover acupuncture—including frivolous ones—and the Office of Alternative Medicine supports studies of acupuncture. Now acupuncturists are getting their very own taxpayer-funded board.

Somebody stab me.

4 comments:

curls said...

There needs to be some criteria for what medical assistance will be funded by the government and by insurance for that matter. The criteria is not fuzzy at all. Medicine that is supported by scientific research gets the bucks. Until there is evidence citing the effectiveness of acupuncture it doesn't deserve a penny from the feds, if you want to pay for it yourself be my guest. Here is skepdics well referenced page on acupuncture.

Anonymous said...

It should be for YOU. Traditional Chinese Medicine is the way to go if you want to afford toxic western medicines. Spend a afternoon in any large city's Chinatown and wander into the shops and you will see all sorts of herbs and teas and "patent" medicines. Much of this has been in constant use for thousands of years. You may not want to pay for it, but it works!

Anonymous said...

To agree and elaborate...Allowing people to choose what kind of healthcare plan they want (which health concerns they want covered) would dramatically decrease the cost of healthcare. If i'm 18 I'm going to choose not to be insurred for hip replacement surgery. If choice in the system were allowed, then people could choose to be covered for their accupuncture and therefore pay the extra costs. Did you know, not only are people required to be covered for accupuncture in some states, but also they are required to be covered for hair piecies! Outrageous. Maybe if people werent forced to be covered for silly things like accupuncture and hair pieces they could afford their hip replacements. -KRM

David said...

To clarify, I have no problem if people want to stick needles in their body to try to improve their health; I just have a problem with it when I'm forced to pay for it. Accupuncture may be good for some people, just as some prefer surgery, but that doesn't everyone should pay for it.