Assembly bill would mandate acupuncture coverage

BENSONHURST — A bipartisan health coverage bill that Brooklyn State Assemblymember William Colton, D-47, is cosponsoring would mandate insurance coverage of acupuncture. Large-group health insurance plans in New York would have to cover acupuncture services when care providers acting within their scope of practice prescribe this treatment.

Advocates say the new bill (A622A), which Assemblymember Lester Chang is also cosponsoring and which is now in committee, would expand access to pain treatment for working-class and immigrant communities.

Under the bill, insurers could no longer exclude acupuncture outright from comprehensive medical coverage, but would be allowed to apply "reasonable" deductibles, co-payments, co-insurance, fee limits and utilization reviews.

The requirement would apply to large-group plans that already cover physician office visits and major medical care.

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