AOM Unite America – AAAOM’s National Advocacy Platform


 Support HR 646 - Take Action:  Write your representative NOW!

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Friday September 25, 2009 - To date, over 38,000 letters have been sent to our congressional leadership by the AOM practitioner community and "friends of AOM" as mail-based, RallyCongress and Facebook outreach has taken hold. Social networking is a powerful tool, generating exponential increases in our advocacy networks. We invite you to not only write a letter of support using RallyCongress, but to reach out to your network of professional colleagues, families and friends. The process, under RallyCongress is self-explanatory. Beyond contacting your congressional representatives requesting their support and co-authorship of HR 646, the AAAOM is lobbying to have a companion bill to HR 646 introduced in the U. S. Senate. The sample advocacy letter provided is designed to meet both purposes; to request your representative’s support through their co-authorship of HR 646, but to equally have them communicate with their colleagues in the U. S. Senate to introduce a companion bill. The author of HR 646, Congressman Maurice Hinchey published a plea to his congressional colleagues on June 8 to “bring the safe, proven benefits of acupuncture to our constituents in the Medicare and Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans (FEHB) by co-sponsoring HR 646. At the same time he updated the HR 646 Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act 2009 Fact Sheet. Act Now to spread the word as we CHALLENGE a two-fold increase to occur over the next week! The AAAOM downloads and prints your letters - they are then hand-delivered to your congressional representatives by the AAAOM lobbyist. The same public groundswell that elected President Obama is the power you hold in advancing HR 646.  Congressman Hinchey is proposing to fold HR 646 into one of the prominent U. S. Healthcare Reform Bills, but for this to occur, the groundswell from our community is the driving force. Act Now!

Can you invest a $1 a day - $30 a month - to this vital effort? With everyone’s help we shall succeed! A donation at any level is appreciated!

Please visit www.aaaomonline.com/paf/ today to set up an automatic monthly contribution that will secure the present and future of AOM in the United

DON'T SPEAK OF POWER.  TAKE POWERFUL ACTION.  TODAY! 

Join the AAAOM!

All member categories are welcome:  public, professional, students, schools, associations, NGOs and business memberships are needed to assure AOM's seat in U. S. Health Care Reform.  The American public deserves the right to access and the right to choose AOM as a promintent health care modality in their life! Be the change; assure AOM's access to all - Join Today!

AAAOM NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MISSION: The AAAOM National Governmental Affairs committee acts to create fair access to acupuncture and Oriental medicine for the American public, to save health care treatment costs in the American health care delivery system, to create legislative opportunities for AOM practitioners, and to defend the AOM profession and its rights to a full scope of AOM practice.

AAAOM CONTRACTS WITH WASHINGTON, DC, LOBBYIST: In September 2008, the AAAOM Legislative Committee started a rigorous vetting process to find a lobbying team that will advance the goals of the AAAOM. We are pleased to announce that the AAAOM signed a contract on March 25th 2009 with Mr. Sam Brunelli, of Team Builders International (TBI), in Washington, D.C.

National Government Affairs: Claudette Baker, Chair; Carol Braverman, Janet Bourges, Michael Jabbour, Jeannie Kang, Deborah Lincoln, Earnest Mounce, Bill Reddy, Marty Silber, Mori West, Roni Wilbur Shine

In April, 2009, AAAOM announced the kick-off of AOM Unite America—One Voice, One Medicine, One World, a national campaign for our profession. We are conducting this campaign at every level—federal, state, and local.

The profession of acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM) has the unique political opportunity in 2009 to exponentially expand its patient base and accessibility via inclusion in the Obama administration’s national healthcare reform. Although this door is presently open for AOM, the opportunity is finite. Therefore we must act NOW. Without action, many of our patients, unable to get reimbursement for their care, will be compelled to seek other medical options, and AOM will continue to be underutilized by the American public. Without action, our rights to use Chinese herbs will continue to be challenged if not severely restricted. Without action, some states will continue to prohibit the licensed practice of AOM altogether, while others will allow less qualified professions to be the main providers. With your financial support behind AAAOM’s action, we can seize the opportunities before us.

AAAOM’s National Goals:

  • Achieve third party reimbursement for acupuncturists by passing the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act (HR 646) into law thereby providing acupuncturists with the option to choose to participate in Medicare and Federal Employee Health Programs. HR 646 also gives AOM practitioners the option to participate in new federal healthcare plans, Veteran Administration programs, detox and loan forgiveness programs.
  • Seek public and private funding to create and maintain an Herbal Safety Database: Once in place, the database will document the safety of our herbal materia medica, thereby protecting it against unwarranted actions by the FDA and promoting an eventual third category for Chinese herbs.
  • AAAOM’s State Goals: Lobby for licensure in remaining states without licensed AOM statutes. Expand and strengthen AOM scopes of practice in all states. Track and vigorously defend against all anti-AOM bills.
  • Veteran Affair’s activities: Veteran’s affairs are taking an increasing interest in acupuncture. President Emeritus Martin Herbkersman (S.C.) has been receiving referrals of veterans in Columbia, South Carolina, from the Warrior's Transition Unit. He says "the medical staff there is sold on using acupuncture for pain management and believes it is helpful for PTSD. Veterans need AOM services and AOM professionals are the qualified professionals for the job.” This is further substantiated by Joe Chang, MAOM, DiplOM, LAc, (TX) who is a speaker at AAAOM’s Expo 2009 and author of Integrated Care for Acute Combat Induced PTSD in Volume 46 of The American Acupuncturist, located online at: http://www.aaaomonline.info/ameracu/vol46.pdf.

Action Steps Underway:

  • Federal Lobbyist: As the cornerstone of our national legislative agenda, following a 6-month search and interview process, the AAAOM Board of Directors approved the contracting of a Washington, D.C. lobbyist. He is now working regularly with federal legislators and regulators to strategically advance AOM political interests and opportunities. Updates on AAAOM's legislative activities are posted to this section of the website, sent as AAAOM Eblasts, or submitted to the AAAOM's The American Acupuncturist or Acupuncture Today.

HR 646 Action Steps:

  • Grassroots Advocacy: From a base made up of 26,000 practitioners, 8,075 students, 65 schools, all state and national associations, affiliated vendors, and tens of thousands of our patients across the country, the AAAOM is organizing a grassroots campaign. Once established, this strategic AOM network will access and lobby each and every state and federal legislator in the country in order to achieve our political goal – To recognize and secure AOM, not simply as complimentary or alternative, but as a primary and accessible means of healthcare and wellness.
  • AOM in U.S. Healthcare Reform: AAAOM’s first outreach to the Obama administration was in December, 2008. A new letter was sent to Michelle Obama during the week of March 16. This was accompanied by a comprehensive “handbook” on AOM in the U.S. This document also appeared in Volume 47 of The American Acupuncturist and as a supplemental handbook used nationally by our practitioner community for all levels of advocacy. AAAOM’s subsequent correspondence to the White House and the administration will be made available as it is submitted.

Educate Yourself:

Take the HR 646 Poll:

Acupuncture in Medicare Fact Book:

Talking Points: Click here to read bullet points in favor of adopting H.R.646

Take Action:  Write your representative NOW!

  • Support HR 646 Advocacy Now:  To date, over 8,000 letters have been sent to our congressional leadership by our community and "friends of AOM" as our RallyCongress and Facebook outreach has taken hold. We invite you to write a letter of support using  RallyCongress - the process is self-explanatory.  Beyond contacting your house representatives requesting their support and co-authorship of HR 646, the AAAOM is lobbying to have a companion bill to HR 646 introduced in the U. S. Senate. So please send a separate support letter to your senate representation as well to request a HR 646 companion bill be introduced.
  • The AAAOM is downloading the letters you mail. These copies are being hand delivered by our lobbyist on Capitol Hill. Demonstrating this level of constituent support is a powerful tool in expanding co-authorship and legislative support for HR 646.

Membership - The Cornerstone of Advocacy

  • AOM Unite American Membership Campaign 2009: A cornerstone of this advocacy is the involvement of the profession as members. Are you a AAAOM Member? Join Now!

State Legislative Activity Summary:

Our state associations have been active in legislating and expanding scope of practice across the U.S. The AAAOM has supported these efforts through diverse measures, including letter writing, testifying, and legal advisory.

Connecticut legislation: title protection
 
On May 8, 2009 Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell signed into law Public Act 09-21-
"An Act Concerning the Practice of Acupuncture". The law provides a title protection to Connecticut’s licensed acupuncturists. With the passage of this law, a health practitioner must be licensed by the state of Connecticut as an acupuncturist to use the title of "acupuncturist" or "licensed acupuncturist". Other professions will no longer be allowed to use either term professionally or in their promotional material or advertising. Read more here:
http://www.aaaomonline.info/qiunity/09/05/2a.html
 
Minnesota law creates parity for acupuncture reimbursement
 
Edith Davis worked hard over several years, advancing the acupuncture profession in the state of Minnesota. May 6, 2009, Gov. Pawlenty signed into law the Edith Davis Equal Access to Acupuncture law, a tribute to Edith, for her steadfast support and practice of acupuncture. This law creates parity for reimbursement to acupuncture. Read more about the late Edith Davis’ life and work here: http://www.aaaomonline.info/qiunity/09/05/2c.html
 
New Jersey establishes LAc designation, eliminates physician referral, and protects AOM scope of practice
 
On May 6, 2009, Governor Jon Corzine signed legislation that dramatically changes the New Jersey acupuncture practice act. This marks the first time the NJ practice act has been updated since its inception in 1983. The process of changing the legislation began in 2003 and is the culmination of an intense six years of educating legislators, educating ourselves in the way of politics, lobbying, and negotiating with groups opposing the legislation, including medical doctors and insurance companies. Read more about the changes here:
http://www.aaaomonline.info/qiunity/09/05/2b.html

Other National Efforts:

The Coalition for Patients' Rights (CPR) was formed in 2006 to ensure that the growing needs of the American healthcare system can be met and that patients have access to quality healthcare professionals of their choice. CPR, consists of 37 organizations* representing a variety of licensed health care professionals. The AAAOM has been an active member organization of the CPR since its inception. CPR believes that patients are best served when they have access to a team of healthcare professionals who work together to ensure overall health and wellness.  Letter to President Obama (PDF)

AAAOM’s International Goals:

Continue sending an AAAOM representative to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) to support research efforts to make AOM more mainstream in the U.S.

  • The AAAOM has worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2007, to include traditional medicine in the ICD-11s. To better understand the globalization of AOM that is underway internationally within the international healthcare delivery system at our April 23, 2009 banquet we met and heard Dr. Choi Seung Hoon, who led the WHO-mediated international conference to standardize acupuncture point locations. There was a full day of awareness activities on the Capitol lawn, followed by a Capitol Rotunda reception, concluding with a dinner meeting which explored and celebrated the globalization of AOM in a world economy. http://www.aaaomonline.info/2009_acu_awareness_day_invite.pdf

AAAOM’s Research Activities:

Expand and promote research opportunities that substantiate the efficacy of AOM. Increase and promote public awareness, outreach, and access to AOM. Identify and create job generating opportunities for our profession.

  • AOM in the U.S., a comprehensive document on acupuncture and Oriental medicine developed collaboratively by the AAAOM and the Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR), has been published in Volume 47 of The American Acupuncturist. Due to the ongoing importance of this document, AOM in the U.S. is also available as a separate supplement.

AAAOM’s Fundraising Strategy – 2009 Goal:

AAAOM’s approach to raise the $500,000 needed to fund its legislative agenda is to tap into the strength of our diversity. When the “investment in the future of AOM” is spread across the entire profession—practitioners, schools, vendors, students, patients, and organizations—the financial impact to each of us is small, but the collective dividends are HUGE! We are asking practitioners for a contribution of $1 per day or $30 per month.  A link to our Legislative-Fundraising Strategy document is attached. http://www.aaaomonline.info/aom_unite_fundraising.pdf

  • The fundraising efforts conducted at Expo 2009 were highly successful. In one evening we raised $35,000.  Kan Herb Company challenged all present with their $10,000 single donation to promote HR 646 and protection of Herbal Access.

 

Can you invest a $1 a day - $30 a month - to this vital effort? With everyone’s help we shall succeed! A donation at any level is appreciated!

Please visit www.aaaomonline.com/paf/ today to set up an automatic monthly contribution that will secure the present and future of AOM in the United States.

 

 

April 29, 2009:  President Obama's Town Hall meeting in Florissant, MO addressing Acupuncture in Healthcare Reform.

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