Start an Acupuncture Clinic in California

You passed the boards.
Now comes the part nobody tested you on.

Let me help you start your acupuncture clinic.

One-on-one direction for California acupuncturists opening or running a clinic, from a practitioner who runs his own. In English and Mandarin.

You can find the point, read the pulse, and write the formula. Then someone hands you a lease, a CAQH login, and a denied claim, and none of it was on the exam.

Most new clinic owners are not short on effort. They are short on direction: which step comes first, which ones can wait, and which mistakes are expensive to undo. Without someone to ask, it gets sorted out one phone hold and one returned form at a time.

You do not have to sort it out alone.

Why work with me

I'm Dr. Louie Lu, DAIM, L.Ac. I own RUYI Acupuncture Integrative Medicine Clinic in Arcadia, and I run it alone.

That means the work you are facing is work I still do myself, every week: the insurance submissions, the VA Community Care and workers' compensation billing, the bookkeeping, the compliance paperwork, the Google listing. I am not a billing company with an acupuncture page. I am a California acupuncturist who has walked this road and is still on it. I also teach Clinic Management at Alhambra Medical University.

I work beside you as you build your clinic, so you always know what to do next and why.

Where I can point the way

1. Clinic startup

"What do I need in place before I sign a lease?"

Business entity and DBA, NPI, malpractice insurance, what to look for in a lease, city business license, choosing an EHR.

2. Clinic management and administration

"How do I run the day-to-day without it running me?"

Scheduling and patient flow, front-desk routines for a solo or small clinic, fee schedule and payment policies, bookkeeping habits, supplies and vendors, and the monthly numbers worth watching.

3. Credentialing direction

"Which insurance panels should I join, and in what order?"

CAQH setup and panel strategy.

4. VA Community Care and workers' compensation

"How do I start seeing veterans and injured workers?"

How each program works, getting set up, authorizations, required reports, and billing.

5. Insurance claims direction

"Why was this claim denied, and what do I do now?"

Benefits verification, CPT and ICD-10 basics, denials, and chart notes that support what you bill.

6. Compliance setup

"What paperwork does a clinic need on day one?"

HIPAA basics, consent forms, intake forms.

7. Clinic tools and systems

"Which tools are worth paying for?"

EHR, online intake and consent forms, payment processing, AI note-taking tools, and a setup simple enough for one person to run.

8. Local marketing

"How will patients nearby find me?"

Google Business Profile, website, patient reviews, Google Ads.

Is this a good fit?

This service is for acupuncturists licensed and practicing in California.

A good fit if you are:

• Newly licensed and planning a first clinic

• An employee or independent contractor ready to become an owner

• A cash-only clinic thinking about taking insurance

• An owner who feels unsure which step to take next

• More comfortable talking business in Mandarin

Not a fit if you:

• Practice outside California (rules and payers differ by state, and my experience is here)

• Want someone to do your billing or credentialing for you

• Want a guarantee of income, panel approval, or claim payment

• Need legal, tax, or accounting advice (that is your attorney's and CPA's job, and I will tell you when to call them)

How it works

I give direction and stay beside you through each step. You do your own submissions and stay in control of your own clinic. I never handle your patients' records.

1. Start with a free 15-minute call. Tell me where you are and where you are stuck.

2. Pick what suits you (see Services and pricing below). After the call, I will send you a secure online payment link.

3. We meet in person in Arcadia (by appointment), by Zoom, or by phone.

Services and Pricing

Discovery call

Free

15 minutes. Tell me where you are, and we decide together whether I can help.

Hourly consult

$168

Per hour. One subject, one session.

Credentialing direction

$458

3 hours. Regular $504, save 9%. A plan for getting on insurance panels, VA Community Care, and workers' comp.

Insurance claims direction

$458

3 hours. Regular $504, save 9%. Verification, codes, denials, and chart notes that support what you bill.

Startup package

$1,188

8 hours over 3 months. Regular $1,344, save 12%. Step-by-step support through opening day.

Monthly retainer

$298

Per month. Regular $336, save 11%. 2 hours of meetings plus short questions, answered within one day.

Every service starts with the free discovery call. After the call, I send a secure payment link by text or email.

New graduates preparing to open a clinic: a discount applies. Ask about it on your free call.

Inside the Startup Package

Eight hours, spread over three months, in seven sessions:

1. Roadmap (1.5 hours)

Where you stand now, entity and DBA, NPI, malpractice, budget, and a personal action plan with a timeline.

2. Location (1 hour)

What to check in a lease, zoning, city business license.

3. Clinic setup and paperwork (1.5 hours)

EHR choice, payment processing, HIPAA basics, consent and intake forms.

4. Insurance plan (1.5 hours)

Cash, insurance, or mixed. CAQH setup. Which panels to join and in what order.

5. First claims readiness (1 hour)

Benefits verification, core codes, chart notes.

6. Getting found (1 hour)

Google Business Profile, website, reviews.

7. Pre-opening check (0.5 hour)

What is done, what is left, what comes first.

Also included

• The Startup Checklist, marked up for your clinic

• Short questions by text between sessions during the three months

Good to know

• The package hours are used within three months.

• After the eight hours, continued support is through the Monthly Retainer, so I can keep walking with you as the clinic opens and grows.

Common questions

Will you submit my claims or applications for me?

No. I tell you what to do and in what order, and I review your approach with you. You submit your own work, so your clinic never depends on an outside company.

Can we do the whole consult in Mandarin?

Yes. Mandarin or English, your choice.

Do I have to be near Arcadia?

No. Zoom and phone work well anywhere in California. In-person meetings in Arcadia are by appointment. The service is limited to California practitioners.

What happens after the Startup Package ends?

Once the eight hours are used, ongoing support continues through the Monthly Retainer.

Can you promise I will get on a panel or get paid?

No one can honestly promise that. Payers make those decisions. What I can do is help you avoid the common mistakes.

You already know how to help patients.
Let's get the clinic around you working too.

Call or text 909-490-4913. The first 15 minutes are free.

Disclaimer

This service provides general business guidance for California acupuncturists, based on Dr. Lu's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or accounting advice, and no results are guaranteed, including income, insurance panel approval, or claim payment. Every clinic owner is responsible for consulting their own CPA and attorney and for their own business and legal decisions. RUYI Acupuncture Integrative Medicine Clinic and Dr. Lu assume no responsibility for legal, tax, or regulatory matters arising from a client's practice.