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Zhang Zhenzhen
Dr. Lau, Michelle is the president of the American Acupuncture Alliance, dedicated to improving the legal status of acupuncturists. She has made significant contributions to acupuncture legislation in California, USA. Currently, her focus has shifted to the federal healthcare system in the United States, advocating for acupuncture practitioners nationwide and tirelessly working to secure their legal interests.
Zhenzhen Zhang: President Liu, hello! Welcome to Boston to attend our magazine’s first-anniversary celebration. I highly value this rare opportunity. Could you please share about the free clinic you conducted in the U.S. Congress in Washington, DC, a few days ago?
President Lau: Certainly. I am delighted to be invited to your event.
Zhenzhen Zhang: May I ask, what was the purpose of flying from the west coast of the United States in California to the east coast specifically to conduct a free clinic in the Congress? I understand that colleagues in the acupuncture field conduct numerous community clinics across the United States. Not only do they promote traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, but they primarily provide healthcare services to community members, giving back to society and showing concern for those who do not have the conditions and opportunities to receive traditional Chinese medicine care, especially the elderly. However, you are unique in conducting a clinic for congressmen and congressional staff. What is the special significance of this?
President Lau: The primary purpose of our clinic in Congress is twofold. Firstly, it is to advocate for the opportunity for 60 million American seniors to access acupuncture treatment. Secondly, it is to fight for acupuncture practitioners to provide treatment for seniors and be included as Medicare providers.
Zhenzhen Zhang: Acupuncture treatment has already entered Medicare, hasn’t it?
President Lau: Yes. Briefly, the bill that allowed acupuncture therapy to be a part of senior medical insurance and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was passed by Congress in 2019. That was also the year we were working with congressmen. However, it took three years to be formally included in the CMS system. On January 21, 2020, CMS announced the coverage of acupuncture services to help treat chronic lower back pain. This coincided with widespread media reports on the abuse of opioid analgesics, and their causing numerous serious medical incidents. People were seeking more natural pain relief therapies as an alternative to opioid analgesics. Leveraging this trend and the hard work of the acupuncture community in the preceding three years, we finally succeeded in having the bill to include acupuncture in Medicare passed in the federal Congress.
Zhenzhen Zhang: Since Medicare already covers acupuncture, why did you go through the trouble of going to DC?
President Lau: Although acupuncture has entered the American senior healthcare system (MCS), the legislation passed by Congress stipulates that only treatments provided by medical doctors (MDs) are accepted by Medicare insurance. Acupuncturists do not receive federal subsidies. With many medical doctors already busy attending to their patients, they cannot meet the needs of the growing patient population. Acupuncturists, as a qualified professional group, are best suited to provide such services. Excluding acupuncturists from Medicare is unfair to them and restricts healthcare benefits for 60 million retired seniors. After our efforts, a bill was finally proposed by some congressmen to include acupuncturists in Medicare, known as the HR3313 bill. However, this bill requires more signatures from congressmen; only when it surpasses 100 can it proceed to the voting stage in the House of Representatives and potentially become a legally effective bill.
Zhenzhen Zhang: How did you take concrete actions?
President Lau: Just like the efforts we put into the bill passed in 2019, we began conducting more and more congressional clinics. There are over 400 congressmen in the U.S., and we can only reach a limited number of them in one clinic. So, our clinics increased from twice a year to once every quarter and are now held monthly. We gradually allowed more congressmen and their staff to personally experience the miraculous effects of acupuncture, effectively relieving their muscle soreness and other issues. Simultaneously, we emphasized the significance of including acupuncturists in Medicare. We highlighted that acupuncturists are highly trained medical professionals and reasonably argued that once this bill is passed, everyone’s aging parents and/or grandparents, including ours, will benefit from acupuncture therapy without having to pay out of pocket. They won’t need to endure the side effects of opioid analgesics. When they hear these arguments, their initial expressions of resistance and caution gradually soften and relax. Consequently, after each clinic, we gain new support from congresspeople for the HR3313 bill.
Zhenzhen Zhang: I heard that you and your volunteers went door-to-door knocking on the doors of the offices of each congressman, leaving your marks in the vast halls of the Capitol. It must not have been easy.
President Lau: Indeed, passing this bill is extremely challenging, and we don’t know how long it will take to succeed. We hope that more people will join, not only from the acupuncture community but also from various sectors of society. Our goal is unanimous: to ensure that all seniors in need can receive acupuncture treatment andmake acupuncture part of Medicare’s healthcare offerings. A few months ago, we collaborated with various organizations and groups in the Chinese community in New York to hold a joint press conference, urging the public to act. People were encouraged to contact their elected officials, urging them to sign the HR3313 bill through phone calls or emails.
Zhenzhen Zhang: After hearing your introduction, I understand that your work is very meaningful but also challenging. Through our promotion, we hope more people will join the ranks of volunteers and clinics. Unity is strength. Let’s stand together and strive for the early passage of this bill. Thank you, President Liu, for your years of perseverance and selfless dedication. Thanks for accepting our interview.
Author information:
Zhang Zhenzhen is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has more than 40 years of clinical experience in traditional Chinese medicine. She graduated from the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Hebei Medical College and the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He has practiced medicine and taught in China, Japan, and the United States. Dr. Zhang has taught at the New England Acupuncture College in Massachusetts for over 20 years. At the same time, he has worked part-time at the Women’s Health Center of Salem Hospital in Massachusetts for nearly 20 years.
