Acupuncture Society Honors Rep. Pignatelli
BOSTON — State Representative William "Smitty" Pignatelli (D-Lenox) and the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Society of Massachusetts co-hosted a briefing in the State House on Thursday to help elected officials, staff and the public understand more about acupuncture and its ability to help patients deal with chronic pain, substance abuse issues, PTSD and a number of other conditions.
Legislation filed by Representative Pignatelli currently pending in the State House would increase patients' access to safe, effective, quality treatment by requiring that insurance coverage in Massachusetts include acupuncture treatment of pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and nausea.
During the event, Linda Robinson-Hidas, Amherst-based acupuncturist and president of the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Society of Massachusetts, presented Pignatelli with a "Person of the Year" award on behalf of the organization.
"We gave the award to Smitty because he has been a tireless promoter of acupuncture and its integration into available medical choices for all people of the commonwealth," Robinson-Hidas said. "For several years, he has filed and fought for a bill which would mandate insurance coverage and therefore provide a non-pharmaceutical alternative to opioid treatment of pain."
"As the opiate epidemic continues to worsen, we cannot wait for health insurance companies to catch up with the scientific literature when we could be utilizing an effective tool to decrease the circulation of prescription opiates and improve substance abuse treatments in our communities," Pignatelli said. "Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years and it should be equally accessible to all, regardless of their insurance provider."
Acupuncturists in Massachusetts are licensed by the Board of Registry in Medicine and acupuncture treatment plays a crucial role in clinical settings at Hillcrest Cancer Center in Pittsfield, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Bay State Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and many other health care facilities ranging from hospitals to community health centers to private practices.
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