For many patients, acupuncture has magical powers that relieve pain. This traditional Chinese treatment, which involves inserting thin needles into the body, has become widely accepted in mainstream America.
But California leaders will have to make some tough decisions this year.
The latest state budget proposal removes acupuncture from the state’s subsidized Medicaid program for low-income and vulnerable people, sparking outrage among patients and the Chinese-American community, particularly in San Francisco.
A coalition of health care providers (many of which primarily serve Asian American communities), patients and government officials gathered in San Francisco’s Chinatown on Thursday morning to denounce Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to remove acupuncture from Medicare.
“The Governor’s plan to eliminate acupuncture speaks to a long-standing underinvestment in our community, knowing that API residents rely heavily on this service,” said Jessica Ho, government relations director for North East Medical Services, the main nonprofit health service serving San Francisco’s Chinese community.
Ho said NEMS began offering acupuncture services in 2017 and has treated more than 23,000 patients, 90 percent of whom rely on Medicare. The cuts not only affect patients who have to pay out of pocket for services, but Ho’s organization will also have to cut services due to lower demand.
One NEMS patient is Man Mei Chun, a 68-year-old Chinese immigrant with a disability and chronic arthritis pain. She said she receives acupuncture treatments at least twice a month because she is in so much pain and, as a low-income disabled person living in public housing, it is included in her Medicare benefits.
