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Senate health panel backs bill to expand Medi‑Cal acupuncture visits to 24 a year
Summary
Assemblymember Lee and practitioners told the Senate Health Committee AB 19 49 would treat acupuncture as its own Medi‑Cal benefit with up to 24 visits annually, aiming to improve continuity for chronic pain patients and reduce reliance on opioids; the committee moved the bill forward after broad stakeholder support.
Assemblymember Lee presented AB 19 49 to the Senate Health Committee, saying the bill would recognize acupuncture as a distinct Medi‑Cal benefit and allow patients up to 24 acupuncture visits per year rather than the current two-visit-per-month shared cap. “These limitations create barriers to timely care and disrupt continuity of treatment,” Lee said, framing the change as improving access to a nonpharmacological, cost‑effective treatment for chronic pain.
Supporters included licensed acupuncturists and community health providers. Grace Yin Li, president of the American Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, said acupuncture is dose‑dependent and that meaningful results often require frequent treatments early in care. Dr. Lily Chao, director of Integrative Medicine at Northeast Medical Services (an FQHC), described acupuncture as a core part of whole‑person care for many Medi‑Cal patients and urged the committee to allow clinical treatment plans to determine visit frequency.
A range of organizations — including Health Access California, the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and local acupuncture practitioners and clinics — registered support from the room. Several audience members and clinicians described personal experiences of improved pain, function and reduced medication reliance after courses of treatment.
The committee accepted committee amendments and, after quorum was reached, moved AB 19 49 forward and referred it to the Committee on Appropriations.
