Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I write to oppose limiting access to dry needling through the requirement that such services must be referred by a general practitioner.  Dry needling is a safe procedure that I have received without a referral and performed by a physical therapist on multiple occasions.  And in each session, the therapy was successful and helped improve my wellness.

By requiring Virginians to obtain a referral first, the regulation will be too costly for patients and impede access to quality, safe healthcare. If patients have to first get approval from a general practitioner, they will needlessly spend limited financial resources and lost productivity. Moreover, getting a timely appointment with a doctor is too difficult. I have to book an appointment months in advance to see a doctor, regardless of my medical needs. By further clogging an already overwhelmed system, the proposed regulation will unnecessarily prevent access and divert time away from more urgent care matters.

In summary, I ask that the referral requirement be withdrawn due to cost and access consequences.