The Time Is Now To Push Hard For Support of HR 646- The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act.

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Dr. Cheshire graduated Summa Cum Laude from New York College of Health Professions with a degree in Oriental Medicine. Dr. Cheshire is NCCAOM certified in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs and to date has treated over 13,000 people in his specialty. He did residency training with Dr. Rong Da Zhu, a 4th generation Chinese Doctor from Shanghai. He currently practices in Central Florida and is Chair of the National Government Affairs Committee for the AAAOM.

Christopher Cheshire, DOM

I just got off the phone with Dr. Christopher Cheshire who is not only a member of the Board of Directors at AAAOM, but is actually the person in charge at AAAOM for organizing the HR 646 lobbying effort.

Dr. Cheshire came across a post I wrote yesterday at ChineseMedicineTools.com and called me to set the record straight.

As you know, I was under the impression that the letters to Congress being submitted at the AAAOM website were only going to senators and not our representatives.

When you go to the AAAOM website to submit the electronic letter, you only see the pictures of your senators, but Dr. Cheshire is assuring us that they are also being delivered to our representatives. The senators get it first because it's easier to determine who your senators are based on your zip code. However, because of overlapping zip codes in the different districts, determining the representative takes a few more seconds for the website to process. Anyway, I feel a lot better that both houses are getting the letters.

So what do we do now?

Now we must mobilize and mobilize fast!

Dr. Cheshire says that the passing of this historic bill means that acupuncture insurance would become available to 54 million Americans who currently do not have access to alternative medicine. Do you realize what this means for your practice? This is no time to put off taking action and getting people (I mean EVERYBODY you know) to go to the AAAOM website and submit the letter to Congress.

Dr. Cheshire told me that so far they have submitted 23,000 letters through their website, but need at least 100,000 to make this happen. The AAAOM lobbyists are actively talking to senators and representative and the feedback is this:

The members of Congress seem to have a positive opinion about acupuncture, but they need to hear it from YOU, and EVERYBODY you know. And this has to happen TODAY! Not manana... TODAY!

The future of your profession depends on HR 646 passing. So please, if you haven't done so already, go to the AAAOM website right now (the link below takes you directly to the page) and submit your letter to your senators and representative. It literally just took me 1 minute and 58 seconds to submit mine. Then send an e-mail to everybody in your address book asking them to support this Bill.

http://www.rallycongress.com/aaaom/1944/please-support-hr-646-federal-acupuncture-coverage-act/

Anything worthwhile takes some kind of effort. Just like healing your patients greatly depends on their commitment and effort to getting better, the future of acupuncture depends on YOU today. The passing of this bill will put acupuncture on a whole new level. This has been in the works since 1995. Let's get it done now!

PS-- You have enough content to put together an e-mail to send to everybody in your address book from what I've sent you so far. Make sure you include the direct link so they don't have to hunt for it and you're done.

Thank you once again to Kim Marin, AP (Florida), Dennis Kinnane, OMD (California) and Christopher Cheshire, DOM (AAAOM.)

A Letter To Acupuncturists – It’s Time To Make History.

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Dear Practitioners,

I'm contacting you again today because I just got word from a member of my insider's club that if the AAAOM does not send our letters to our representatives instead of our senators (as they are doing now) the Federal  acupuncture Coverage Act doesn't stand a chance.

I first learned of this important legislation yesterday from Kim Marin, AP, a Florida acupuncturist who is doing her part getting the word out. When I got word of this I stopped what I was doing and I forwarded you the e-mail, along with the direct link so you can keep the momentum going.

Today, I got an e-mail from Dennis Kinnane, OMD of California, informing me that AAAOM is sending our letters to senators instead of our representatives. This is what Dennis wrote to me when he received the same e-mail I sent you yesterday:

"Frank,
I have been spreading the word on this for weeks now.  The trouble with the AAAOM's "blast" is that when one goes to forward the letter to their representative the AAAOM has linked it to SENATORS.....Right now we need REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE....NOT SENATORS....  This bill has only 18 co sponsors at this time in the House and without several hundred it is GOING NOWHERE!   Please, contact AAAOM as I have just done also and let them know that it is critical to link this email blast to the person's local Representative NOT Senator at this time....
Thanks"
Dennis Kinnane

I just e-mailed AAAOM via their contact form and sent them the following message:

***IMPORTANT***
Ref: HR 646, The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act
"I am helping spread the word among acupuncturist of this important legislation. I myself submitted the letter on your website. However, it has been brought to my attention that it is crucial the letters go to our representatives instead of our senators. The problem with AAAOM's "blast" is that when one goes to forward the letter to their representative, it is linked it to SENATORS.....Right now we need REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE....NOT SENATORS....

This bill has only 18 co sponsors at this time in the House and without several hundred it is GOING NOWHERE!   It is critical to link your email blast to our local Representative NOT Senator at this time."

Why am I telling you all this?

I'm telling you all this because if you don't do your part in helping push this bill through Congress, who is? I myself may not have anything to gain from it, but you do. If the acupuncture community pulls this off, it will make a dramatic impact on your business.

Of all the acupuncturists I e-mailed yesterday, only half of them clicked through to the AAAOM website. Frankly, I think that's pathetic. When I got Dennis' e-mail I was motivated once again to urge you to do YOURSELF a favor and push for this bill. You'll also be helping hundreds of thousands of senior citizens who can't afford your fees, who will benefit a great deal from alternative medicine.

Here's what you need to do right now--

1.  Contact the AAAOM via e-mail at info@aaaomonline.org

2.  Copy and paste the following text in the e-mail:

I am helping spread the word among acupuncturist of this important legislation. I myself submitted the letter on your website. However, it has been brought to my attention that it is crucial the letters go to our representatives instead of our senators. The problem with AAAOM's "blast" is that when one goes to forward the letter to their representative, it is linked it to SENATORS.....Right now we need REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE....NOT SENATORS....

This bill has only 18 co sponsors at this time in the House and without several hundred it is GOING NOWHERE!   It is critical to link your email blast to our local Representative NOT Senator at this time.

3.  Hit the "SEND" button

For the AAAOM to redirect the letters to our representatives instead of senators should not be a big deal. It looks like they use a service called "Rally Congress" that does this for them.

I want to thank Kim and Dennis for helping me get the word out to you. Now it's your turn to keep the momentum going. Alert your colleagues and friends and even patients. This will not happen without your support. You can do it!

Sincerely,

Frank Prieto

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