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October 2002
ACA Long Range Plan Designed to
Transform the Health Care System
Arlington, VA -- The ACA's House of Delegates approved an updated Long Range Plan during the association's annual meeting, August 28-30, in Kansas City, MO. The new plan is designed to serve the needs of the chiropractic profession and patients nationwide by fully integrating doctors of chiropractic as decision makers in the nation's health care delivery system.
“The new ACA Long Range Plan clarifies association goals to promote unity of action,” said Rick McMichael, who chaired the meeting. “The ACA is committed to this plan that is focused on achieving the vision of a positive future for doctors of chiropractic and the patients they serve.” According to the plan’s new vision statement, the integration of doctors of chiropractic as decision makers will be directed to accomplish "positive outcomes for public health, primary care delivery and patient wellness." Some of the goals contained in ACA's updated Long Range Plan are:
Access, Utilization and Parity Reimbursement
ACA will preserve and promote the profession through broad patient access to and utilization of full scope chiropractic services and parity reimbursement by all reimbursement systems. ACA will focus its activities on reimbursements systems such as the Medicare/Medicaid programs, ERISA plans, all private insurance plans and federal health care programs such as the DOD and VA health care systems in an effort to ensure unfettered access to comprehensive chiropractic care by all Americans.
Majority Membership
By 2010, the ACA's goal is to represent the profession with membership greater than 50 percent of licensed doctors of chiropractic. To achieve this goal, the ACA will continue to strive for excellence in member service by ensuring that all of its products, services and publications are meeting the needs of its members and the chiropractic profession at large. The ACA will also work cohesively with other chiropractic organizations to share expertise and resources in an effort to achieve the major goals and shared vision of the profession.
Public Awareness
Through an aggressive, ongoing and multi-faceted public awareness program, the ACA will educate the public on the importance of conservative health care options offered by doctors of chiropractic as wellness experts. The ACA will also motivate the public to follow good health habits for optimum function and wellness. By implementing an external public awareness/advertising campaign, the ACA hopes to double the number of patients benefiting from chiropractic within seven years.
Quality Patient-Centered Health Care
Through implementation of its Long Range Plan, ACA will continue to improve and promote the quality of care of chiropractic specifically and of the health care system generally. This will be done through educational products, programs and services that support quality chiropractic care, as well as through the support of research and outcomes studies on the benefits of chiropractic. ACA will also promote the profession as a career of choice to attract high quality students to our chiropractic colleges.
DCs as Decision Makers
ACA will protect the chiropractic profession and improve the public health by increasing the participation of ACA members in both paid and voluntary state and national legislative positions, coalitions, agencies, organizations/associations and other decision-making entities. Included in this goal are the appointment of doctors of chiropractic to positions within the Department of Health and Human Services, the VA, DOD, the Indian Health Care System, the National Health Service Corp, congressional staff positions and other government agencies.
For more information on ACA's Long Range Plan, visit the Web site at http://www.acatoday.com/about/vision.shtml.
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