I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4803 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for 
acupuncturist services under the Medicare program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2021 
Ms. CHU introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways 
and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 
coverage for acupuncturist services under the Medicare 
program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Acupuncture for Our 
Seniors Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. COVERAGE FOR ACUPUNCTURIST SERVICES UNDER 
THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861 of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (s)(2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (GG); 
(B) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (HH); and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(II) qualified acupuncturist services (as de-
fined in subsection (lll)(1));’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(lll) QUALIFIED ACUPUNCTURIST SERVICES.— 
‘‘(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
term 
‘qualified 
acupuncturist services’ means such services fur-
nished by a qualified acupuncturist (as defined in 
paragraph (2)), and such services and supplies fur-
nished as an incident to services furnished by the 
qualified 
acupuncturist, 
as 
the 
qualified 
acupuncturist is legally authorized to perform under 
State law. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFIED ACUPUNCTURIST DEFINED.— 
For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘qualified 
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acupuncturist’ means an individual who is licensed 
as an acupuncturist by a State or, in the case of an 
individual in a State that does not provide for such 
licensure, meets such criteria (such as certification 
through an appropriate nationally recognized certifi-
cation authority for acupuncturists) as the Secretary 
may specify. In specifying such requirements, the 
Secretary may use the same requirements as those 
established by such a certification authority.’’. 
(b) PAYMENT RULES.— 
(1) PAYMENT UNDER PHYSICIAN FEE SCHED-
ULE.—Section 1848(j)(3) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting 
‘‘(2)(GG),’’ before ‘‘(3),’’. 
(2) SEPARATE PAYMENT FOR SERVICES OF IN-
STITUTIONAL
PROVIDERS.—Section 1833(a)(2)(B) 
of 
the 
Social 
Security 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1395l(a)(2)(B)) is amended— 
(A) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘and in the 
case of qualified acupuncturist services,’’ after 
‘‘1999,’’; 
(B) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘or in the 
case of qualified acupuncturist services,’’ after 
‘‘1999,’’; and 
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(C) in clause (iii), by inserting ‘‘(other 
than qualified acupuncturist services)’’ after 
‘‘such services’’. 
(3) QUALIFIED
ACUPUNCTURIST
TREATMENT 
AS A PRACTITIONER.—Section 1842(b)(18)(C) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(18)(C)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(vii) A qualified acupuncturist (as defined in 
section 1861(lll)(2)).’’. 
(4) SEPARATE
BILLING
FOR
ACUPUNCTURIST 
SERVICES FURNISHED IN AN INPATIENT HOSPITAL 
SETTING.—Section 1861(b)(4) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(b)(4)) is amended by insert-
ing ‘‘qualified acupuncturist services,’’ after ‘‘quali-
fied psychologist services,’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section apply with respect to services furnished on or 
after the date that is 270 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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