Changes in Reimbursed Acupuncture Therapy Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic induced a shift to telemedicine, which may have disproportionately affected in-person treatments such as acupuncture therapy.

Objectives

We measured trends in reimbursed acupuncture between 2018 and 2021. We also measured trends in other types of pain care among patients with low back pain (LBP), which was the most common diagnosis for acupuncture.

Research design

A descriptive, retrospective, and claims-based analysis.

Subjects

The sample included any patient who used their insurance to pay for acupuncture, which was defined using Current Procedural Technology (CPT) codes 97810, 97811, 97813, and 97814. In secondary analysis, the sample included only patients with LBP, which were identified using the International Classificatio

SUBMITTER: Candon M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12333544 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature