Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers only for chronic low back pain.  Medicare also doesn’t cover acupuncture for any condition other than chronic low back pain. Chronic low back pain is defined as: 1) Lasting 12 weeks or longer; 2) Not having a known cause (for example, not related to cancer that has spread, or an infectious or inflammatory disease); 3) Pain that isn’t associated with surgery or pregnancy

Medicare Part B covers up to 12 acupuncture visits in 90 days. Your copay is 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. Medicare can cover an additional 8 sessions if you show improvement in your initial 12 visit. You can get a maximum of 20 acupuncture treatments in a 12-month period. If you aren’t showing improvement in your initial 12 visits, Medicare won’t cover the 8 additional treatments.  

Medicare required you must get acupuncture from a doctor, or by another health care provider (like a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) who has both of these: 1) A masters or doctoral level degree in acupuncture or Oriental Medicine from a school accredited by the Accreditation Commission on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, 2) A current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice acupuncture in the state where you’re getting care.

However, Medicare declares that Medicare can’t directly pay Licensed Acupuncturists for their services.