The Acupuncturist Occupational Code FAQs

keywords:  credentialing, hospital employment, national standards

Q:  Do Acupuncturists have a federal occupational code?  What is it?
Yes.  29-1291-Acupuncturist

Q:  When is the BLS occupational code finalized?  Is it useful for hospitals before it is finalized?

2018 and Yes.

The Acupuncturist Occupational Code, as tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) is not finalized until 2018.  The electronic print edition of the BLS's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) handbook is scheduled to be published in summer 2017.

What is great about BLS and O*Net is that you can look online (O*NET) and see the final, detailed draft of the code.  I have heard from various hospital credentialing experts from as early as 2012 that this info, even while not “finalized” is useful info for them.  It writes their credentialing packet for them, in essence.  

While we wait this last year for the code to be finalized, it is good to know how useful just the final published draft of the occupational code is to credentialing experts and those who write position descriptions (job descriptions).

I have written more about the Acupuncturist occupational code and how it relates to hospital practice in the fall issue of Meridians, "Hospital Practice:  Recognition of Acupuncturist as a Licensed Independent Practitioner (LIP)".

Gale M, Hospital Practice:  Recognition of Acupuncturist as a Licensed Independent Practitioner (LIP).  Meridians:  JAOM, 2016 3(4):  11-16, 41.

NCCAOM has lead the way in the creation of the occupational code.  See their website for the latest update.

related blogposts:  
My Meridians article reference page

Updates since Jan. 2018
The official BLS Standard Occupational Code (SOC) for Acupuncturists, Jan. 1st, 2018
The VA Occupational Staffing Code for Acupuncturists announced, Feb 2018