ENROLLED
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 252
BY REPRESENTATIVE CHAD BROWN
A RESOLUTION
To authorize and request the Department of Insurance to study and report on the status of
health insurance coverage for acupuncture services in Louisiana and other states and
to submit a written report of its findings to the House Committee on Insurance and
the Senate Committee on Insurance no later than February 1, 2020.
WHEREAS, R.S. 37:1356 defines the practice of acupuncture as the treatment by
means of mechanical, thermal, or electrical stimulation effected by the insertion of needles
at a point or combination of points on the surface of the body predetermined on the basis of
the theory of the physiological interrelationship of body organs with an associated point or
combination of points, or the application of heat or electrical stimulation to such point or
points, for the purpose of inducing anesthesia, relieving pain, or healing diseases, disorders
and dysfunctions of the body, or achieving a therapeutic or prophylactic effect; and
WHEREAS, the practice of acupuncture provides important health benefits to the
residents of this state; and
WHEREAS, the practice of acupuncture has become a well-established, widely used,
viable modality across the United States; and
WHEREAS, acupuncture has been shown to have a relevant effect on chronic pain
which persists over time that cannot be solely explained by placebo effects according to
research by the Acupuncture Trialists' Collaboration, published in the May 2018 edition of
The Journal of Pain, the official journal of the American Pain Society; and
WHEREAS, acupuncture is a nonaddictive alternative to opioids for pain
management; and
WHEREAS, the individuals providing acupuncture services are licensed and the
practice of acupuncture is regulated by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
pursuant to R.S. 37:1356 et seq.; and
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WHEREAS, the Department of Insurance works diligently to balance the needs of
insurance consumers with the insurance industry's need to run a competitive business; and
WHEREAS, as a regulator, the department enforces the Louisiana Insurance Code,
thereby creating an environment conducive to a competitive marketplace for the sale of
insurance products and services while providing Louisiana residents with the maximum
amount of consumer protection.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Department of Insurance to study
and report on the status of health insurance coverage for acupuncture services in Louisiana
and other states.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Insurance, in conducting the
study, shall do all of the following:
(1)Survey the availability and extent of health insurance coverage for
acupuncture services in Louisiana.
(2)Review the laws and best practices in other states relative to health insurance
benefits for acupuncture services.
(3)Survey the availability and extent of health insurance coverage for
acupuncture services in other states.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in carrying out the purposes of this Resolution,
the Department of Insurance shall engage and solicit input, recommendations, and advice
from all interested parties and stakeholders.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Insurance shall submit a
written report of its findings and recommendations to the House Committee on Insurance
and Senate Committee on Insurance no later than February 1, 2020.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
commissioner of insurance.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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