H 4548
An Act relative to the practice of acupuncture
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
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Bill overview
This bill establishes a commission on acupuncture and wellness within the Department of Public Health to study and recommend ways to better integrate acupuncture services into the healthcare system in Massachusetts. The commission will focus on expanding access, reducing costs, and improving quality of care, particularly in areas like pain management, substance abuse treatment, and wellness promotion. Furthermore, the bill mandates that health insurance policies and contracts cover acupuncture treatments for specific conditions and ensures equitable reimbursement rates for licensed acupuncturists.
Key provisions
- Creates a Commission on Acupuncture and Wellness to study integration of acupuncture services.
- Requires the commission to develop recommendations for integrating acupuncture into healthcare delivery models.
- Mandates that health insurance policies and contracts provide coverage for acupuncture treatments for pain management, PTSD, substance abuse, and nausea.
- Requires the commissioner of public health to approve policies that include acupuncture coverage.
- Prohibits third-party payers from differentiating reimbursement rates for acupuncture services by provider type.
- Extends coverage to state employees under group insurance.
- Addresses reimbursement strategies for licensed acupuncturists.
- Establishes a reporting requirement for the commission to submit annual reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Joint Committee on Public Health.
Who is affected
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Cosponsors
Carmine Lawrence Gentile
Donald H. Wong
James B. Eldridge
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Bill H.4548 194th (Current)
An Act relative to the practice of acupuncture
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Bill Information
Bill Information
Sponsor: Joint Committee on Financial Services Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Health Care Financing
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Bill History Cosponsors Committee Vote Committee Summary
Bill History
Displaying 5 actions for Bill H.4548
| Date | Branch | Action |
| 9/29/2025 | House | Reported from the committee on Financial Services |
| 9/29/2025 | House | New draft of H1148 |
| 9/29/2025 | House | Reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing |
| 12/8/2025 | House | Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026 |
| 3/19/2026 | House | Reporting date extended to Monday, June 15, 2026 |
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