This week we were joined by Mina Larson, the CEO of the NCCAOM and Marilyn Allen from the American Acupuncture Council to discuss the exciting changes announced by the CMS, the Centers for Medicare, Medicaid Services.

Overview
This week we were joined by Mina Larson, the CEO of the NCCAOM and Marilyn Allen from the American Acupuncture Council to discuss the exciting changes announced by the CMS (the Centers for Medicare, Medicaid Services).

Guest Bios
Mina Larson
CEO of NCCAOM
Mina is a seasoned Non-Profit Association Executive with an emphasis in Certification and Credentialing. Current Chief Executive Officer of a national certification board, NCCAOM. She’s a proven leader and innovator with a demonstrated history of leading and growing several departments to include Government Relations and Advocacy, Communications and Public Relations and Professional Ethics and Disciplinary Review, and experienced in the areas of Strategic Planning and Governance for Nonprofits.

Marilyn Allen
Editor of Acupuncture Today
Marilyn Allen is a founding member of COMRE. Ms. Allen is a nationally recognized speaker and educator on the subject of alternative healthcare professions and serves as the Editor of Acupuncture Today, one of the leading periodicals for the acupuncturist profession. Ms. Allen regularly speaks at associations, schools, and regulatory boards on the topics of practice management, risk management and ethics. In addition Ms. Allen is currently serving as the liaison to the World Health Organization for the International Classification of Traditional Medicine Committee and is a U.S. delegate to the International Standards Organization’s technical advisory group.

Key Takeaways:
This change will have a monumental impact on the number of Americans who will now have access to acupuncture as well as combat the opioid epidemic by providing patients with an alternative to managing and treating chronic pain. All insurance companies take cues from Medicare and Medicaid on what services should be routinely covered, therefore this signals a shift in coverage across all insurance networks.

Links and Other Goodies:
Show Notes from episode:
https://students.vuim.edu/all-things-integrative/announcement-by-cms
Press Release on Center for Medicare and Medicaid Decision:
https://www.nccaom.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Final%20ASA%20NCCAOM%20letter%20re%20CMS%20Acu%20Determination.pdf
How to become certified:
https://www.nccaom.org/certification/
State Licensure requirements:
https://www.nccaom.org/state-licensure/
Sample Tests:
https://www.nccaom.org/certification/nccaom-exam-preparation-center/

Our Take:
With expanding licensure requirements and more widely accepted coverage, the earning potential of our graduates will surely rise. This makes now the perfect time to begin your career at a school that will fully prepare you to be a leader in this field.