119-hr1667

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1667 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1667

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for 
 acupuncturist services under the Medicare program.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 27, 2025

 Ms. Chu (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following 
 bill; which was 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 BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for 
 acupuncturist services under the Medicare program.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. COVERAGE FOR ACUPUNCTURIST SERVICES UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--

Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x) is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (s)

    (2) --
        (A) by adding ``and'' at the end of subparagraph

    (JJ) ; and
        (B) by adding at the end the following new 
 subparagraph:
 ``

    (KK) qualified acupuncturist services (as defined in 
 subsection

    (nnn)

    (1) );''; and

    (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
 ``

    (nnn) Qualified Acupuncturist Services.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--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.
 ``

    (2) Qualified acupuncturist defined.--For purposes of 
 this subsection, the term `qualified acupuncturist' means--
 ``
        (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; or
 ``
        (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.
 In specifying requirements under subparagraph
        (A) , the 
 Secretary may use the same requirements as those established by 
 a certification authority described in such subparagraph.''.

    (b) Payment Rules.--

    (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) ,''.

    (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''.

    (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) ).''.

    (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,''.
            (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.
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