National Health Care and Acupuncture

by Sydney Walker on June 2nd, 2009


If you would like to see acupuncture and other forms of comprehensive, complimentary approaches covered by Medicare and in any National Health Care plan, there are several ways you can help.

Please Support HR 646, The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act
Give health consumers choice by including acupuncture as a covered benefit under Medicare part B.

http://www.rallycongress.com/aaaom/

And to have a strong public option in the new National Health Care legislation, support the progressive caucus of the Congress. Ask your representatives to make sure the public option is not watered down, is not contingent upon “triggers” when the for-profit industry crosses lines in denying care.
This is from Credo Action:
This Thursday, the future of public health care is at stake.
Dear Friend,
We all know that there’s a war being waged in Congress over whether to pass health care reform – but I just learned that one of the most important battles of that war is happening this Thursday. And if progressives cave, it is almost certain that we will not have a good public health care option.

Progressives scored a major victory when members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus vowed to shoot down any bill that didn’t include an option for public health care – meaning that you and your family could choose between private insurance and government sponsored care.

But there’s more than one way to define the term “public option.” Actually, there are dozens of plans that could fall under “public option” umbrella, ranging from those that would barely change the status quo (bad) to those that would make a tremendous difference in helping all Americans to access the affordable care they need (great!).

This Thursday, the Congressional Progressive Caucus will determine how they define the term “public option.” If they choose a weak definition, the chances of us seeing strong reform from Congress are slim to none.

I just signed a petition asking members of the Progressive Caucus to support an aggressive public option that would help millions of Americans. I hope you will, too. Please have a look and take action.

Progressive Health Care Petition

A few other points that I think are important:
We need to reverse the give away to the pharmaceutical industry that says we can’t negotiate as a country for volume discounts for medications paid for by Medicare.
Overriding all of these issues is the need for a change in how we finance and oversee elections to take corporations out of the legislative process.

To contact Congress by phone toll free: 1-800-828-0498
or 202-225-3121

Posted in: Journal