Acupuncture for Medicare Beneficiaries with Chronic Low Back Pain
Official title: Acupuncture for Medicare Beneficiaries with Chronic Low Back Pain: Access, Utilization, and Outcomes
Funded at Southern California Univ of Health Scis · NIH-11311347 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how coverage of acupuncture for chronic low back pain in Medicare beneficiaries affects outcomes, access, and costs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Southern California Univ of Health Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Whittier, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $568,909 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AT012615-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11311347 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Medicare beneficiaries with chronic low back pain who may consider acupuncture as part of their care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have access to acupuncture providers under Medicare or who prefer pharmacotherapy may see little to no benefit.
What this research studies
The grant studies how CMS’s decision to cover acupuncture for chronic low back pain changes real-world care for older adults. Researchers will compare safety, quality of care, and costs between acupuncture and standard pharmacologic treatments. They will also examine how easily Medicare patients can access acupuncture, use patterns among beneficiaries, and what helps or hinders getting acupuncture. The work aims to identify barriers and facilitators to using acupuncture within the Medicare program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could improve pain management for older adults by expanding access to acupuncture and potentially reduce risky medication use.
How similar studies have gone: Prior analyses suggest that non-pharmacologic options like acupuncture can be feasible and may influence care patterns, but this study specific to Medicare coverage is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Southern California Univ of Health Scis
Whittier, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Whedon, James M. — Southern California Univ of Health Scis
- Study coordinator: Whedon, James M.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.