Keep Acupuncture Covered in the Empire Plan

I'm writing to join public employees in opposing the State’s collective bargaining proposal to eliminate acupuncture from the Empire Plan. Acupuncture is one of the most effective non-opioid options for pain relief, and it's exactly the kind of evidence-based care we should be protecting. The American College of Physicians specifically recommends acupuncture care before opioids for low back pain, one of the most common conditions in the state workforce. Medicare has covered it since 2020 as part of federal opioid-reduction policy. The DOH is actively considering adding it to Medicaid. And just this month, the State Assembly passed A.622 to expand acupuncture coverage to large-group plans. The state is moving in one direction, but the Executive is proposing to take us backward. Acupuncture accounts for less than 2% of the Empire Plan's medical/surgical spending, but it saves the state many times that amount by reducing unnecessary surgeries and obviating costly and potentially harmful opioid prescriptions. Cutting it doesn't save money. It shifts costs and increases risk. Tell the state's negotiators to keep acupuncture services covered so public employees won’t lose this valuable benefit.