,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cgii  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ai1       
#bjac,mr4 ,gibson introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1
 and in addition to the ,committees on  
,ways and ,means and ,oversight and     
,government ,reform1 for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 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   
for coverage of qualified acupuncturist 
services under part ,b of the ,medicare 
,program1 and to amend title #e1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 to provide for coverage 
of such services under the ,federal     
,employees ,health ,benefits ,program4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,federal ,acupuncture ,coverage 
,act of #bjac4  #b4 ,coverage of        
acupuncturist services under ,medicare  

7a7 ,in general ,section #ahfa7s77#b7 of
 the ,social ,security ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7s77#b77 is amended--   
7#a7 by striking and at the end of      
subparagraph 7,,ee72  7#b7 by inserting 
and at the end of subparagraph 7,,ff72  
and  7#c7 by adding at the end the      
following new subparagraph3  7,,gg7     
qualified acupuncturist services 7as    
defined in subsection 7iii772  4  7b7   
,services described ,section #ahfa of   
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7 is amended by adding  
at the end the following new subsection3
  7iii7 ,qualified acupuncturist        
services  7#a7 ,the term qualified      
acupuncturist services means such       
services furnished by a qualified       
acupuncturist 7as defined in paragraph  
7#b77 and such services and supplies    
furnished as an incident to services    
furnished by the qualified acupuncturist
 which the qualified acupuncturist is   
legally authorized to perform under     
,state law 7or the ,state regulatory    

mechanism provided by ,state law74  7#b7
 ,the term qualified acupuncturist means
 an individual who has been certified1  
licensed1 or registered as an           
acupuncturist by a ,state 7or the ,state
 regulatory mechanism provided by ,state
 law74  4  7c7 ,payment rules  7#a7     
,determination of amount of payment     
,section #ahcc7;a77#a7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciel7a77#a77 is amended-- 7,a7 by     
striking and before 7,z72 and  7,b7 by  
inserting before the semicolon at the   
end the following3 1 and 7,,aa7 with    
respect to qualified acupuncturist      
services described in section           
#ahfa7s77#b77;,,gg771 the amounts paid  
shall be the amount determined by a fee 
schedule established by the ,secretary  
for purposes of this clause 7but in no  
event shall such amount exceed the fee  
schedule amount provided under section  
#ahdh for the same service performed by 
a physician724  7#b7 ,separate payment  
for services of institutional providers 

,section #ahcc7;a77#b77;,b7 of such ,act
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciel7a77#b77;,b77 is  
amended1 in clauses 7i7 and 7ii71 by    
inserting and in the case of qualified  
acupuncturist services furnished at any 
time after #aiii1 each place it appears4
  7d7 ,effective date ,the amendments   
made by this section apply to services  
furnished on or after ,january #a1      
#bjad4  #c4 ,coverage of acupuncturist  
services under ,federal employees health
 benefit plans  7a7 ,in general ,section
 #hijb7k77#a7 of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
acupuncturist1 after nurse midwife1 each
 place it appears4  7b7 ,effective date 
,the amendment made by this section     
applies to services provided on or after
 ,january #a1 #bjad4