AACMA Strongly Supports Legislation to Protect Medi-Cal Acupuncture Coverage
AACMA Strongly Supports Legislation to Protect Medi-Cal Acupuncture Coverage
After decades of persistent advocacy by the Chinese medicine and acupuncture community, California’s Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) now covers acupuncture treatment, benefiting tens of thousands of seniors and low-income individuals. At the end of last year, the California Acupuncture Coalition (CAC) — initiated and led by the American Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture (AACMA) — launched a lobbying effort targeting state policymakers. This effort successfully secured the sponsorship of Senate Bill 944 (SB 944), authored by California State Senator Scott Wiener. The bill aims to further protect healthcare benefits for vulnerable populations in California by removing the dependency of acupuncture benefits on the availability of federal matching funds.
A press conference for SB 944 was held on February 2 at 10:00 a.m. at the Northeast Medical Center in San Francisco’s Chinatown. With the participation of media representatives and community members, Senator Wiener presided over the event and introduced the content of SB 944. Officially titled the Acupuncture Access Act, SB 944 seeks to ensure that acupuncture services remain a stable and ongoing benefit under Medi-Cal, preventing reductions due to changes in state or federal budgets.
Currently, Medi-Cal acupuncture services rely heavily on state appropriations and federal matching funds. In times of political or fiscal uncertainty, acupuncture funding is often among the first targeted for cuts. In recent years, whenever California has faced budget deficits, proposed state budgets have almost invariably included the elimination of acupuncture funding, forcing repeated mobilization by legislators and community organizations to restore the benefit. The core objective of SB 944 is to end this cycle of uncertainty and establish acupuncture as a stable and essential healthcare benefit. The bill would remove the requirement that acupuncture reimbursement be tied to federal matching funds, thereby obligating the State of California to continue providing acupuncture services even if federal healthcare funding is reduced in the future.
Other speakers at the press conference included Dr. Lili Qiao, Director of the Integrative Medicine Department at Northeast Medical Center, and acupuncture patient and U.S. veteran Richard Yu. Both emphasized the effectiveness of acupuncture, its popularity among patients, and the strong demand for acupuncture services among California residents.
CAC Vice President and AACMA President Emeritus, Dr. Chulong Xue, highlighted that acupuncture is safe, effective, and cost-efficient. Medi-Cal acupuncture benefits have provided care to millions of low-income and socially disadvantaged Californians while reducing expensive downstream medical costs; therefore, acupuncture benefits should be preserved from both medical and financial perspectives.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu underscored the particular importance of SB 944 at a time when federal funding cuts threaten California’s fiscal stability, noting that the legislation would help safeguard Medi-Cal acupuncture benefits. San Francisco Supervisor Danny Sauter also spoke in support of SB 944.
During the Q&A session, AACMA Vice President Fan-Jin Li raised concerns regarding dry needling legislation, citing cases of pneumothorax caused by physical therapists performing dry needling, and urged lawmakers to prioritize patient safety. Senator Wiener stated that he would give the matter careful consideration.
Upon receiving notice of the press conference, AACMA leadership responded swiftly, mobilizing members from San Francisco and surrounding areas to show support. Within just two days, eleven members were organized to attend the event. These acupuncturists postponed scheduled patient appointments and set aside their clinical practices to advocate for public welfare — an admirable demonstration of professional dedication. Attendees included Vice President Fan-Jin Li; President Emeritus Chulong Xue; Deputy Treasurer Aaron Yu; San Francisco District Director Annie Tsang; Supervisor Jingwei Huang; Honorary Advisor Shawn Chen; Executive Advisor William Zhao; Advisors Zaozhi Wu and Ping Zhang; former Vice President and Political Action Committee Chair Lin Yang; and dedicated member Dingwei Hu.
SB 944 has now entered the California State Legislature for deliberation. We encourage everyone to follow the bill’s progress and to learn from the members who participated in the press conference - putting public interest above personal gain, contributing with enthusiasm, and actively working to protect and advance our profession.
Submitted by the AACMA Political Action Committee Correspondent
February 3, 2026
