Many TCM and acupuncture professionals hear the same frustration from patients: “I wish my benefits covered more acupuncture treatments.” For patients who use acupuncture regularly, limited extended health coverage can quickly be exhausted. This can make it harder for patients to continue the care they find helpful and may limit their ability to access treatment when they need it. ATCMA continues to advocate for the TCM and acupuncture profession in British Columbia, but when it comes to the amount of acupuncture coverage included in an employee benefits plan, there is an important reason that patients and employees need to be part of the conversation.
Why Doesn’t ATCMA Simply Ask Insurance Companies for Better Coverage?
It may seem logical to ask insurance companies to increase acupuncture coverage. However, the amount and type of coverage offered through a workplace benefits plan is generally determined by the benefits package selected by the employer.
Employers work with insurers and benefits providers to choose the level of coverage they want to offer their employees. They also decide what they are willing to pay for as part of their employee benefits package.
In other words, insurers provide the coverage options and plans that employers choose to purchase. If an employer chooses a plan with limited acupuncture coverage, the insurer is generally administering the benefits package that the employer selected.
This means that asking an insurance company alone to increase coverage for everyone may not be the most effective path to change.
Employees Have an Important Voice
Employers may not realize that their employees want greater coverage for acupuncture and TCM services unless employees tell them.
Benefits packages are designed to attract and retain employees, and employee feedback can play an important role in helping employers understand what health benefits their workforce values. If employees want something more or different from their benefits plan, they need to communicate that to the people responsible for making those decisions.
That is why patient voices can be powerful.
When employees tell their employer that their current acupuncture coverage is not meeting their needs, they can help demonstrate that improved coverage is something the workforce values.
How TCM Professionals Can Help
ATCMA has created a simple informational flyer that TCM professionals can share with their patients.
Support a Healthier, More Productive Workplace handout for employees to employers.docx
The flyer is designed to help patients start a conversation with their employer or workplace benefits decision-maker about expanding acupuncture coverage provided by licensed TCM practitioners.
Practitioners can share the flyer with patients who have limited coverage and encourage them to consider bringing the issue forward through their workplace. The goal is not to pressure employers, but to help employees understand that they can ask for benefits that better reflect their healthcare needs.
The flyer highlights some of the potential reasons employers may want to consider better acupuncture coverage, including support for:
- Pain management
- Stress management and employee well-being
- Reduced health-related disruptions and sick days
- Employee satisfaction
- Greater choice in healthcare services
- A more comprehensive and competitive benefits package
Why This Matters for the Profession
Improving acupuncture coverage is not only about helping individual patients access care. Better benefits can also help increase awareness of the role TCM and acupuncture can play in supporting employee health and well-being.
When patients are able to access the care they value through their workplace benefits, it can also help make TCM services more accessible to a broader range of people.
Change often begins with people speaking up about what they need. Employers may be willing to consider changes to their benefits packages, but they first need to know what their employees want.
Share the Flyer With Your Patients
We encourage ATCMA members to share this flyer with patients who would like to see better acupuncture coverage through their workplace benefits.
Support a Healthier, More Productive Workplace handout for employees to employers.docx
A patient who says, “I need more acupuncture coverage” may be one voice. But when multiple employees raise the same concern, employers may have a clearer reason to review their benefits options.
By helping patients understand how workplace benefits decisions are made and encouraging them to share their needs with their employer, TCM professionals can help support a broader conversation about access to acupuncture.
ATCMA will continue advocating for the profession. We invite our members to use this resource to empower patients to advocate for the healthcare benefits they want and need.
Share the flyer with your patients and encourage them to let their employer know that better acupuncture coverage matters.
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