Editor in Chief Randall Yip
Molly Bekele of San Francisco suffered from severe joint and muscle pain for 10 years.
“Suddenly, I get pain in these areas and I can’t sleep at night… I get migraines and dizziness. My teeth hurt and it’s like I can suddenly feel the roots of my teeth.”
She told AsAmNews that no amount of painkillers could ease the excruciating discomfort, and it’s only in the last six months that acupuncture has helped to control the pain.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal would remove acupuncture from coverage under Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income people.
Representatives from North East Medical Services, China Hospital and the NICOS China Health Alliance today spoke out against the proposed cuts.
“Acupuncture is a part of Asian Pacific Islander American culture and helps connect the mind, body and soul. The treatment is also already known to be effective in managing pain, reducing stress and improving quality of life,” Dr. Lili Chao of NEMS told AsAmNews over the phone.
In the past seven years, Northeast Medical Services has treated 23,000 patients with acupuncture.
Qiao predicts that removing acupuncture as an option will worsen the mental health crisis and increase anxiety and depression, and she worries that the loss of acupuncture will put an additional strain on the health care system.
“A lot of people are going to suffer. People with chronic pain may turn to opioids or other painkillers, which can lead to addiction. And that’s a public health crisis right now.”
Bekele agreed, saying acupuncture would actually reduce health care costs, which she feels would ultimately increase the budget deficit.
“Acupuncture not only treats what’s going on, but it also prevents it. It helps a lot of other areas function in a lot of different ways.”
California’s current budget deficit is $68 billion. Newsom’s office did not respond to a request for comment from AsAmNews.
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