BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announced that it will now cover acupuncture as part of its sweeping change to address the opioid epidemic that has even resulted in a substantial increase of newborn babies experiencing opioid withdrawal.
The plan will no longer cover prescriptions for Oxycontin, a favorite drug to abuse, and has shifted to replacement drugs and acupuncture.
Acupuncture has been shown to have a relevant effect on withdrawal symptoms and chronic pain. 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 the effect of acupuncture cannot be solely explained by placebo effects.