Practitioner view of CMS decision on acupuncture for low back pain

On January 21, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its decision to cover acupuncture for low back pain. As reported earlier this year on Integrative Practitioner, CMS released a 41-page decision memo defining low back pain, licensing requirements, and the number of sessions the agency will cover per year.    According to the decision, CMS will cover a maximum of 20 acupuncture sessions per year for beneficiaries with nonspecific, chronic lower back pain, providing…