Congress Considers Chiropractic Legislation To Increase Patient Access

The American Chiropractic Association Gets Legislation Passed by Congress

For too long patients needing chiropractic care have been denies by their insurance carriers; however, recent legislation has been passed to prevent this.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has succeeded in getting important pro-chiropractic legislation introduced in Congress. If enacted into law, the bills will increase patient access to the services provided by chiropractic physicians.

The Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Its House companion bill, H.R. 921, was introduced by Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine). The bills would require the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to have a chiropractic physician on staff at all major medical facilities by 2016.

The second bill, H.R. 741, the Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act was introduced by Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa). The bill calls for extending chiropractic services to military retirees, dependents, and survivors. Chiropractic services include diagnosis including X-ray tests; evaluation and management; and therapeutic services for the treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal health conditions.

A third bill, Chiropractic Membership in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Act of 2013, would require the inclusion of Doctors of Chiropracty in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, which consists of more than 6,000 public health professionals who are involved with disease prevention programs and advancing public health.

That last bill, Access to Frontline Health Care Act, help chiropractic physicians, and other selected healthcare professionals, repay their student loans if in exchange they establish and maintain practices in medically underserved areas.

ACA president Keith Overland notes, “Those who have made sacrifices for our country—especially veterans, active-duty military and their family members—deserve access to the best health care available, which includes chiropractic services. I am urging every chiropractic physician, chiropractic student and chiropractic supporter to contact their congressional representatives and urge them to cosponsor these bills and to help military families in need.”

This is just the beginning of legislation that has been much needed by tens-of-thousands of Americans and lawmakers hope to increase the laws to further meet the needs of those seeking chiropractic care. For those who are advocates of chiropractic medicine and the alternative treatments that are associated with the practice, take the time to speak with your local representative to stress the level of importance this matter has to you. Alternatively, speak with your insurance carrier and inquire about coverage for chiropractic care, if they do not offer this service, you may want to seek out a provider who does.

For more information, visit www.acatoday.org.

About the Author: My name is Ryan and I enjoy writing about healthcare-related issues, such as ways to treat migraine headaches, how to prevent injury when exercising, and where to locate the best chiropractic care in North Scottsdale, Arizona.

Learning about Whiplash the Hard Way!

Even a small fender bender can be enough to send someone to the chiropractor; and I learned this the hard way! It was a warm, sunny afternoon in Arizona, where I was visiting a college friend, and I decided to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure after a long, hard day of shopping with Jen. Upon leaving the salon I hit the road. Traffic was moving well and I was anticipating getting home and preparing dinner for my family. Suddenly the vehicle in front of me slammed on their brakes! Luckily, I was far enough behind the driver to stop in time, but the vehicle behind me was not. Apparently, the driver in the car behind me did not have his eyes on the road, and he slammed into the back of my car. Once I collected myself enough that I wouldn’t yell at the driver, I got out of the car to assess the damage. Thankfully, the damage was minimal—just a small dent in the bumper. The driver asked me if I was hurt, but from what I could tell, I was fine. I took down the drivers’ insurance information and went on my way. The rest of the evening progressed as normal and I didn’t think much more about it.

The next morning I awakened to some serious pain in my back and shoulders. I contacted my doctor and told her what had happened the day before. She informed me that this was a common occurrence and a common mistake! She said that just because I didn’t feel much at the time of the accident, it didn't mean that I wasn’t actually injured. She advised me to see a chiropractor. A little shaken up, I Google searched for an Arizona car accident doctor, and quickly found one near me.

At the appointment, the chiropractor asked me all kinds of questions regarding my medical history, and also reviewed with me the details of the accident. He said that based on the signs and symptoms I was having, I was likely suffering from whiplash. I was completely shocked; all of this from a fender bender? I ended up having to undergo chiropractic manipulation, or chiropractic adjustment; a huge term which essentially means the doctor gently moves the affected area and joints into the direction in which they are restricted. Muscle stimulation by repeated extension and contraction of the muscles was also used to relax the affected muscles in my neck and back.

Needless to say, I will never underestimate the severity of any injury again. Especially in a rear end accident!