October 2001

U.S. House Votes in Support of Chiropractic
Benefits for Veterans

Washington, D.C. - Chalk up some major points in favor of chiropractic when it comes to the profession’s many years of discussion, negotiations and education with legislators regarding the inclusion of chiropractic benefits within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).

In a major victory for the profession, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2792 by voice vote on Oct. 23. The legislation contains a provision that would create the first permanent chiropractic benefit within the DVA, providing veterans with access to a broad scope of chiropractic services that would include “at minimum, neuro-musculosketal conditions.” The legislation also would create an oversight advisory committee, allowing veterans to designate a chiropractor as their primary care provider, and it would authorize the hiring of doctors of chiropractic as DVA staff.

According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) stated during discussions about the legislation that veterans deserve access to chiropractic care, and a permanent benefit in the VA health-care system is long overdue.

Before the initiative can become law, it must be reconciled with Senate-passed legislation. The reconciled provisions would then go before both the House and Senate for a final vote. No Senate companion bill currently exists; however, House Veterans Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) said he is seeking such a vehicle and would like to see the chiropractic provision and other committee initiatives passed into law before the end of 2001.

The vote by the full House followed a recommendation to approve the bill, including the chiropractic provision, by a House subcommittee on Veterans Affairs. The legislative initiative came only after numerous, unsuccessful attempts by the chiropractic profession and the Congress to persuade the DVA to develop and implement a meaningful chiropractic program on its own.

Some outstanding issues - such as the exact budget estimates as calculated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) - still need to be resolved. Chiropractic groups have said that the cost-savings that can be realized from chiropractic care should be quantified along with the cost estimates. The provision as written would gradually phase in the chiropractic benefit over a five-year period.

The basic elements of the new initiative represent common ground for the chiropractic profession, having been agreed to during months of intensive discussion between the ACA, the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), and the Association for Chiropractic Colleges (ACC).

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) issued statements to the House subcommittee that opposed the inclusion of chiropractic benefits. Other groups are expected to weigh in against the proposal, which makes it even more important for chiropractic to be visible on Capitol Hill.

Industry News from:
Chiropractic News from: