Imnapl
04-02-08, 10:16 PM
Acupuncture Added as Supplementary MSP Benefit
On April 1, BC became the first Canadian province to offer acupuncture treatments as a supplementary benefit for its Medical Services Plan (MSP) premium assistance recipients.
Premium assistance benefits are available to eligible BC residents with a combined family income of $28,000 or less. MSP reimburses premium assistance recipients $23 for each supplementary benefit visit, to a combined maximum of 10 visits in each calendar year. Patients are covered for acupuncture treatments for a diagnosed condition through visits with practitioners registered by the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA).
MSP also provides funding support to premium assistance patients for selected services of physiotherapists, naturopaths, chiropractors, massage therapists and non-surgical podiatrists.
Acupuncture treatments typically involve inserting thin sterilized needles under a patient’s skin to stimulate acupuncture points. The use of acupuncture has shown promising results for the treatment of nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy, nausea during pregnancy, migraine headaches, chronic lower back pain and pain from osteoarthritis of the knee or hip.
The acupuncture profession is regulated under the Health Professions Act of B.C. and there are approximately 1,200 acupuncture practitioners registered with the CTCMA, the regulatory body for acupuncturists in B.C.
Individuals requiring assistance in locating a registered B.C. acupuncturist can contact the CTCMA at 604-783-7100 or online at www.ctcma.bc.ca.
Adapted from BC Ministry of Health news release – March 30, 2008
On April 1, BC became the first Canadian province to offer acupuncture treatments as a supplementary benefit for its Medical Services Plan (MSP) premium assistance recipients.
Premium assistance benefits are available to eligible BC residents with a combined family income of $28,000 or less. MSP reimburses premium assistance recipients $23 for each supplementary benefit visit, to a combined maximum of 10 visits in each calendar year. Patients are covered for acupuncture treatments for a diagnosed condition through visits with practitioners registered by the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia (CTCMA).
MSP also provides funding support to premium assistance patients for selected services of physiotherapists, naturopaths, chiropractors, massage therapists and non-surgical podiatrists.
Acupuncture treatments typically involve inserting thin sterilized needles under a patient’s skin to stimulate acupuncture points. The use of acupuncture has shown promising results for the treatment of nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy, nausea during pregnancy, migraine headaches, chronic lower back pain and pain from osteoarthritis of the knee or hip.
The acupuncture profession is regulated under the Health Professions Act of B.C. and there are approximately 1,200 acupuncture practitioners registered with the CTCMA, the regulatory body for acupuncturists in B.C.
Individuals requiring assistance in locating a registered B.C. acupuncturist can contact the CTCMA at 604-783-7100 or online at www.ctcma.bc.ca.
Adapted from BC Ministry of Health news release – March 30, 2008