March 2002

ACA Celebrates Victories, Plans for
Future at Annual Legislative Conference

Washington, D.C. - Hundreds of doctors of chiropractic from around the country converged upon Washington, D.C., recently to lobby Congress for Medicare reform and the passage of patient protection legislation and insurance equality, during the American Chiropractic Association's (ACA's) annual National Chiropractic Legislative Conference (NCLC). NCLC was directly followed by a meeting of the ACA House of Delegates (HOD).

In addition to their lobbying efforts, the doctors who attended the conference also celebrated the chiropractic profession's second major political victory in less than a year and a half. Most recently, President George W. Bush in January approved legislation that mandates the establishment of a permanent chiropractic benefit within the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) health-care system. In October 2000, former President Bill Clinton signed similar, but separate, legislation mandating that chiropractic care be made available to all active-duty personnel in the United States armed forces.

The ACA-PAC (ACA Political Action Committee) also had a successful year, raising more than $400,000 last year, putting it in a better position to support pro-chiropractic candidates and incumbents in Congress.

"Chiropractic is making history like never before because of your consistent contributions and your belief in the political process," ACA President Dr. Daryl Wills told the audience of more than 350 doctors of chiropractic and students. "Through our victories we are a force to be reckoned with. We have friends in high places. It didn't used to be that way."

ACA chairman Dr. James Edwards said: "It's a great time to be in the leadership and be a member of the ACA. For many years we've heard, 'What have you done?' At no other time in our history is this profession doing more.... So much is being accomplished for the profession, and you can be proud."

That sentiment was echoed by several U.S. representatives and senators who attended this year's conference, which took place in early March.

Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN), who was instrumental in convincing the House Veterans Affairs committee that chiropractic should be available to veterans, noted that education was the right approach in convincing Congress that the Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Administration (VA) legislation were necessary. "I would just compliment you that your approach and the desire to persevere is very powerful," Buyer said.

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) agreed that doctors of chiropractic - like everyone - need to educate members of Congress in order to get their issues noticed. "As legislators, we know very little. We know squat.... There are too many things to learn; that's why lobbying is really educating."

Ensign, who receives chiropractic care regularly at the Capitol's health clinic, pointed out that many people may not understand that "chiropractic can fix something now and prevent disease, too," and therefore it's crucial for DCs to go back to their local districts and begin the education process there. "Most members of Congress really want to do the right thing," he said. "If you convince them that something is logical and practical, things can change."

Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) said fairness and patient choice are his guiding principles when tackling health issues in Congress. "These two principles come together so well in this [VA] legislation.... We need to utilize these principles more often in Washington," he added.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) was also adamant about freedom of choice in healthcare. "Chiropractic is needed to meet the health-care needs of the country," Harkin said. "Twenty-eight million Americans may be using chiropractic, but all Americans should have access."

Harkin has also voiced his support for a provision for a chiropractic demonstration program in the Senate's version of the National Health Service Corps' "re-authorization bill." He also supports full chiropractic reimbursement (the Chiropractic Patients' Freedom Choice Act, H.R. 902, introduced by Rep. Wes Watkins), and has urged that the bill be attached to any Patients Bill of Rights legislation that may be voted on in the Senate.

Acting Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth Mortisugu also spoke to the NCLC attendees. He commended ACA for being one of the first groups to join HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson's Workplace Partnership for Life campaign, which aims to increase the rate of organ donations in the United States.

The HOD portion of the event included the passage of several important resolutions, including the following regarding managed-care practices:

"ACA has long been concerned over the harmful and discriminatory practices of managed-care organizations - particularly chiropractic networks and third-party administrators, affecting proper patient care and the practice of chiropractic. ACA vehemently opposes these harmful and discriminatory practices associated with managed care: limiting full scope of practice, inappropriate CPT applications and reimbursement policies, use of discount/affinity programs, restrictive limits of care, and improper utilization review. ACA and its leadership will communicate this position to the profession, as well as obtain detailed data on these abuses, develop and implement a plan to halt them, and give a status report on these efforts at the August 2002 HOD meeting and each subsequent HOD meeting."

The HOD meeting also included a speech by attorney George McAndrews, who reported on the recent progress of ACA's lawsuits against HHS and Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia, as well as an address by Don Johnson of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Johnson reported on the federal government's plans to increase benefits to Medicare recipients as well as foster greater understanding of Medicare services and create a "culture of responsiveness" at the agency.

The awards segment of the HOD meeting included the presentation of a bust of the late Dr. Gerald Brassard, a founding member of ACA, to his family and ACA members. Brassard served in several positions within the association during its early years. The bust, which commemorates Brassard's important work and advocacy on behalf of the chiropractic profession and ACA, will be displayed at ACA headquarters in Arlington, Va.

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