CMS Evaluates Medicare Coverage of Acupuncture for Low Back Pain

The federal government has launched an assessment of whether Medicare should pay for acupuncture treatment for chronic low back pain, a move that could bolster the acceptance of the therapy in workers’ comp. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services started a National Coverage Analysis of acupuncture for chronic low back pain on Jan. 15. The agency will accept public comments through Feb. 14 and expects to complete the analysis in October. In introducing the analysis, CMS noted that its parent department, Health and Human Services, is focusing on providing more evidence-based, non...