Good afternoon, Chair Weber Pierson and Senate Health Committee members.
My name is Grace Ying Li. I am a licensed acupuncturist with over 30 year practice in San Jose, I am also the president of the American Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (AACMA), one of the main sponsors of AB 1949.
First, I want to thank Assemblymember Alex Lee for his leadership on this important issue.
Acupuncture is a safe, evidence-based, and cost-effective treatment that helps patients manage chronic pain and other health conditions while reducing reliance on opioids and costly medical interventions.
Under current Medi-Cal policy, acupuncture is limited to a shared cap of just two visits per month across multiple therapies. This restriction is clinically inadequate and often prevents patients from receiving meaningful care. Coverage may exist on paper, but access is limited in practice.
More importantly, acupuncture is a dose-dependent therapy. Meaningful and lasting results require treatment at an appropriate frequency, typically at least twice per week during the initial phase of care. When treatments are spaced too far apart, the therapeutic benefit is reduced.
This is an access issue, not a utilization issue. Limiting access to non-drug therapies can increase reliance on medications and lead to higher healthcare costs.
AB 1949 provides a balanced solution by allowing providers to develop treatment plans based on clinical need rather than arbitrary visit limits.
I respectfully urge your support for AB 1949.
Thank you.
