Dr needling/trigger point avupuncture are built with the same code under the AMA CPT coding for billing. Dry needling is an advanced technique that is not taught in the current curriculum for athletic trainers. License acupuncturists need 1305 Acupuncture specific hours during their four year educational program after at least 60 hours of undergraduate work. We then must take for national psychometric exams in order to be licensed to practice. This particular bill does not have significant standards necessary required for patient safety. Even the American Academy of medical acupuncture, medical physicians take a 300 hour course of approved courses that are vetted by a third-party and then they take a third-party national exam. 

It is not in the best interest of Patient safety to have providers take a 25 hour or even 75 hour class and then take a quiz provided by the purveyor of the class to be able to practice this invasive procedure.

The Dunning- Krueger effect is in place here. Being able to provide exercises is very different than inserting filiform acupuncture needles. Licensed acupuncturist must fulfill a clean needle technique course and require requirement. That is essential for patient safety and best practices. It is vital that we look at best practices for patient standards and oppose bills with sub standard training, but do not require specific, vetted third-party courses with specific didactic standards, numbers of clinical hours, and third-party national psychiatric testing for invasive procedures.

Respectfully