As an acupuncture patient and constituent in your district, I urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 1477, the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act.

This bill, sponsored by Congressman Maurice Hinchey, seeks to include acupuncture benefits to Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plans and, as importantly, would cover and reimburse well qualified Licensed Acupuncturists as Social Security/Medicare healthcare providers.

I am one of tens of millions of consumers who know how effective acupuncture can be in treating chronic pain, addiction, respiratory, digestive and many other ailments already acknowledged by the National Institute of Health and the World Health Organization. At this present time, acupuncture is embraced in just about every country in the world except the United States. It is time that it is included as one of the modalities of health care available for every American citizen.

For all citizens, whether already as patients or simply in search of safe holistic treatments with no side effects, acupuncture and oriental medicine has become an integral part of the future of the health care paradigm. It is safe, effective and an inexpensive alternative to allopathic medicine. That’s why more than 70 percent of the nation’s insurers now cover some acupuncture treatments.

The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act would include acupuncture services for Medicare's millions of seniors and disabled persons in addition to all federal employees and their dependents. Federal employees, seniors and the disabled should have the freedom to choose acupuncture and the benefit of having it reimbursed.

Sincerely,

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