PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 27, 2025
Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act of 2025
This bill provides for Medicare coverage of acupuncturist services, including those provided by a physician (as authorized under state law).
People & committees
Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Oct 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-27 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act of 2025 would add Medicare coverage for services from qualified acupuncturists, including eligible physicians, and related services and supplies permitted under state law. It would establish provider qualifications and change Medicare payment and billing rules, including separate billing for these services in inpatient hospitals. The changes would apply to services furnished starting 270 days after enactment.
This Act may be cited as the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act of 2025.
(KK) qualified acupuncturist services (as defined in subsection (nnn)(1));
The term qualified acupuncturist services means such services furnished by a qualified acupuncturist (as defined in paragraph (2)), and such services and supplies furnished as an incident to services furnished by the qualified acupuncturist, as the qualified acupuncturist is legally authorized to perform under State law.
(B) a physician who is legally authorized to perform acupuncture as part of the practice of medicine and surgery by the State in which the physician performs such function or action.
(4) Separate billing for acupuncturist services furnished in an inpatient hospital setting
The amendments made by this section apply with respect to services furnished on or after the date that is 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
The proposed coverage definition includes services provided by a qualified acupuncturist and related services and supplies furnished in connection with that care. It limits the definition to what the acupuncturist is legally authorized to perform under state law.
The term qualified acupuncturist services means such services furnished by a qualified acupuncturist (as defined in paragraph (2)), and such services and supplies furnished as an incident to services furnished by the qualified acupuncturist, as the qualified acupuncturist is legally authorized to perform under State law.
An individual would qualify through a state acupuncture license. In a state without such licensing, the individual would need to meet criteria the Secretary may specify, potentially including certification by a nationally recognized acupuncture certification organization. The Secretary could adopt that organization's requirements.
(A) an individual who is licensed as an acupuncturist by a State or, in the case of an individual in a State that does not provide for such licensure, meets such criteria (such as certification through an appropriate nationally recognized certification authority for acupuncturists) as the Secretary may specify;
In specifying requirements under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may use the same requirements as those established by a certification authority described in such subparagraph.
A physician would also qualify if the state where the physician performs acupuncture legally permits it as part of medical and surgical practice.
(B) a physician who is legally authorized to perform acupuncture as part of the practice of medicine and surgery by the State in which the physician performs such function or action.
The bill would add qualified acupuncturist services to the statutory provision governing payment under Medicare's physician fee schedule—the payment schedule for physician services. The supplied amendment does not state payment amounts.
(1) Payment under physician fee schedule Section 1848(j)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting (2)(KK), before (3),.
Under a provision titled 'Separate payment for services of institutional providers,' the bill would add qualified acupuncturist services to two existing payment clauses and exclude them from a third. The existing clauses are not reproduced, so the supplied text does not fully explain the resulting payment calculation.
(2) Separate payment for services of institutional providers Section 1833(a)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(2)(B)) is amended— (A) in clause (i), by inserting and in the case of qualified acupuncturist services, after 1999,; (B) in clause (ii), by inserting or in the case of qualified acupuncturist services, after 1999,; and (C) in clause (iii), by inserting (other than qualified acupuncturist services) after such services.
The bill would add qualified acupuncturists to the practitioner category in the cited Medicare payment provision.
(3) Qualified acupuncturist treatment as a practitioner Section 1842(b)(18)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(18)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the following new clause: (ix) A qualified acupuncturist (as defined in section 1861(nnn)(2)).
The bill would provide for separate billing of qualified acupuncturist services furnished in an inpatient hospital by adding them to the cited hospital-services provision.
(4) Separate billing for acupuncturist services furnished in an inpatient hospital setting Section 1861(b)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(b)(4)) is amended by inserting qualified acupuncturist services, after qualified psychologist services,.
All of Section 2's amendments would apply to services furnished on or after the day that is 270 days after enactment. This is a conditional start date, not a fixed calendar date.
(c) Effective date The amendments made by this section apply with respect to services furnished on or after the date that is 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated October 8, 2026, records introduction in the House on February 27, 2025, and referral that day to the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees for consideration of provisions within their respective jurisdictions.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-08T14:58:35Z.
2025-02-27: Introduced in House
2025-02-27: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-27. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No provision unrelated to the bill's Medicare acupuncture coverage and payment subject was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish formal earmark status in accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment beyond the proposed program's ordinary coverage and provider qualifications was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not extend to other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 8, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI