A small revolution is brewing within the Community Acupuncture movement.
When acupuncture practices were introduced and established in the US back in the 1970s, the mainstream medical model created the pricing and the environment in which the treatments were done. Today, fees for acupuncture treatments range from $50-$200 with the patient treated in a private room. This design works well if the patient can afford to pay out of pocket, or has insurance to cover the costs. But the vast majority of insurance companies do not yet cover this service. It is often difficult for patients to continue the desired, consistent acupuncture treatments, necessary for most conditions, when they have to pay out of pocket.
Born out of this dilemma was the concept of ‘Community Acupuncture’, a solution for more affordable acupuncture treatments using a sliding scale system. In 2005, Working Class Acupuncture in Portland Oregon became the first community acupuncture clinic in the US. With the community acupuncture model in place, people pay whatever they can, between $15-$40 per treatment. The treatments are performed in a community space, with several patients getting treated simultaneously. Suddenly, those who couldn’t afford regular acupuncture were able to receive treatments more frequently, and consistently. In a time of soaring, seemingly unsustainable, healthcare costs, this model offers a “remedy” to the problem. It is, in a sense, a revolution.
While this is a newer model for acupuncturists in the United States, it is ubiquitous in China where acupuncture has been used for thousands of years. There, an acupuncturist can see close to 100 patients in 4 hours in a large clinic space with several chairs next to each other. The patients pay $2 a treatment, and often come every day until their symptoms are better.
Acupuncture has become more integrated into mainstream healthcare than ever before. Hospitals are trying to keep up with the demand for complementary health options. More and more doctors are referring patients to get acupuncture; it’s being used supportively with oncology care, sports medicine, fertility patients, addictions, and so much more.
Urban Acupuncture Center is the first community acupuncture clinic in the state of Ohio. We are honored to be a part of this international network of acupuncture clinics, one of more than 200 clinics in the US. Opened in September of 2010 and we are already seeing over 200 patients a week for treatments. There are now 7 acupuncturists on staff, and we are open 7 days a week. We are all grateful to be part of the health of our community in the best way we know how, natural and affordable.
-Susan Bowlus, L.Ac. and Kit Yoon, L.Ac