Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Project for Medicaid Reimbursement for Acupuncture Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1090
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: SANDERSON

Legislative Document 
No. 1090 
H.P. 751 
House of Representatives, March 25, 2015 
Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Project for Medicaid Reimbursement 
for Acupuncture Treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative SANDERSON of Chelsea. 
Sec. 1.  Acupuncture pilot project.  Resolved:  That the Department of Health 
and Human Services and the department's office of substance abuse and mental health 
services shall apply for a community-based waiver from the federal United States 
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 
to develop a pilot project to treat alcohol abuse disorders, substance abuse disorders and 
co-occurring disorders using the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association 
auricular acupuncture protocol; and be it further 
Sec. 2.  Project program standards.  Resolved:  That the treatment under the 
pilot project must be performed by program staff who have been trained to perform the 
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association auricular acupuncture protocol.  The 
Department of Health and Human Services and the department's office of substance abuse 
and mental health services shall establish treatment standards that are consistent with the 
National Acupuncture Detoxification Association auricular acupuncture protocol; and be 
it further 
Sec. 3.  Patient limits and financing.  Resolved:  That the pilot project must be 
limited to a finite number of patients determined by the Department of Health and Human 
Services and the department's office of substance abuse and mental health services and 
may last no longer than 2 years. Acupuncture treatment under the project must be 
reimbursable as allowed under the United States Social Security Act, Title XIX and it 
must be developed and implemented in a manner that ensures that it will be cost-neutral 
or will result in savings to the MaineCare program; and be it further 
Sec. 4.  Report.  Resolved:  That the Department of Health and Human Services 
and the department's office of substance abuse and mental health services shall submit a 
report on the results of the pilot project to the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over health and human services matters at the end of the project. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the 
department's office of substance abuse and mental health services to apply for a 
community-based waiver from the federal United States Department of Health and 
Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop a pilot project 
to treat alcohol abuse disorders, substance abuse disorders and co-occurring disorders 
using the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association auricular acupuncture 
protocol.  The project may last no longer than 2 years and must be reimbursable as 
allowed under the United States Social Security Act and be cost-neutral or result in 
savings to the MaineCare program.  The department and the office must report their 
findings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health 
and human services matters at the end of the project.