Tracking Sheet Issue Acupuncture is a part of traditional Chinese medicine, a system of healing empirically derived over millennia. It has been available in the US since the 19th Century. The Food and Drug Administration has approved acupuncture needles as medical devices.
Acupuncture involves shallow piercing of the skin with small needles at specific points.
Traditional Chinese practitioners theorize that the points connect with energy conducting meridians, affecting spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance of the opposing forces of yin and yang. Western scientists suggest that stimulation with the needles may enhance or inhibit nerve conduction. According to section 35-8 of the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual, Medicare does not cover acupuncture. Therefore, acupuncture is not billable as a separate, distinct service. Acupuncture services may be included in some Medicare capitated payment systems.