Is Acupuncture Covered by Extended Health Insurance in BC?

Often, yes. Many group and individual extended health plans in BC include acupuncture under "paramedical" or "practitioner" benefits. Common patterns:

• a yearly maximum in dollars (for example, a few hundred dollars per year);
• a per-visit maximum or a percentage reimbursed;
• sometimes a shared limit with other practitioners, such as massage or naturopathy.

Every plan is different. Check your plan booklet, or ask your insurer or HR.

BC's Medical Services Plan (MSP) generally doesn't cover acupuncture. MSP offers limited supplementary benefits for some lower-income residents, which can include a small per-visit amount for acupuncture and some other practitioners. Check the Government of BC's MSP supplementary benefits page for current eligibility and amounts.

Insurers typically require that acupuncture be performed by a practitioner registered with the provincial regulator. In BC, that's the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC). Titles include Registered Acupuncturist (R.Ac.), Registered TCM Practitioner (R.TCM.P.) and Doctor of TCM (Dr.TCM). You can confirm a practitioner's registration on the College's public registry. See Choosing a TCM Practitioner in BC.

A proper acupuncture receipt usually includes:

• the practitioner's full legal name and registration number;
• the clinic's name and address;
• the date of treatment;
• the service provided (acupuncture);
• the amount paid.

A receipt is a record of what actually happened. It must show the treatment you received, and the registered practitioner who performed it. Issuing a receipt for one service in place of another, for example an acupuncture receipt for a massage or cosmetic treatment, is insurance fraud, and insurers audit for it. At Flourish, receipts always match the treatment and the practitioner, exactly.

Can be receipted:

• Acupuncture performed by a registered acupuncturist. At Flourish, that's Tabasom (Tabi) Mirshahi, R.Ac. #7101581. Acupuncture is currently on the waitlist.

Not covered by extended health insurance:

• Skin care and facials, such as OxyGeneo and microneedling.
• TuiNa & DDS, lymphatic drainage and relaxation massage, which are not registered massage therapy.
• Reiki and head massage.
• Cosmetic treatments, including cupping butt lift, cellulite, hair loss restoration and spider vein treatment.

Full details are on our Insurance & receipts page.

Ask your insurer:

1. Is acupuncture by a registered acupuncturist covered?
2. What's my yearly maximum, and how much have I used?
3. Is there a per-visit limit or a percentage reimbursed?
4. Do I need a doctor's referral? (Some plans do.)
5. Can I submit claims online?

Acupuncture at our Yaletown clinic is currently on the waitlist. Join from the Acupuncture page. We're a short trip from Downtown Vancouver and Burnaby.