February 2003

Parker Seminars attendees raise $520,000 for NCLAF

LAS VEGAS – Top leaders in chiropractic made an appeal to the 8,500 attendees at the 51st Parker Seminars, and attendees broke out their checkbooks and donated $520,000 to the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund. The money will be used by the American Chiropractic Association to fight two ongoing legal battles.

The donations included generous checks from Breakthrough Coaching for $100,000 and from Foot Levelers for $27,000.

“We are proud of the leadership and vision that has been shown by the ACA,” Mark Sanna, DC, CEO of Breakthrough Coaching, told Chiropractic Economics. “We support the vision of unity embraced by the ACA. The NCLAF is truly a cause around which chiropractors of diverse backgrounds can align.”

Kent Greenawalt, president and CEO of Foot Levelers Inc., said, “It’s our duty and pleasure to make this donation to NCLAF on behalf of chiropractic. This legal fight is paramount for the future of chiropractic. Support the NCLAF and Save Our Subluxation [SOS] today!”

Attendees throughout the conference wore badges touting SOS in support of the legal fund.

More than $800,000 has been raised for the fund through the Parker Seminars, said James Edwards, DC, CEO of the ACA. “For the second year in a row, chiropractic leaders from all three of these organizations [ICA, ACA and WCA], plus many other prominent chiropractic leaders, educators and advocates, took the stage simultaneously at the Parker Seminars in Las Vegas to rally financial support for and to speak on behalf of the [fund].”

One of the current lawsuits is against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for denying access to chiropractic to Medicare patients. The other is against Trigon Insurance for limiting reimbursements to chiropractors.

“Fighting the federal government in court is expensive,” said Edwards. “The federal government has unlimited numbers of attorneys and unlimited resources. This is truly a David versus Goliath situation. No one knows for sure how much more funding will be required to bring both lawsuits to a successful conclusion. Regardless of how the two judges rule in the next few months, the side that loses that round will most certainly appeal.”

The ACA is asking all chiropractors to contribute $100 a month “for as long as it takes to prevail.” Edwards said that pledges can be mailed to NCLAF, P.O. Box 75359, Baltimore, MD 21275. Chiropractors can also enroll in a monthly plan at: http://www.acatoday.com/pdf/legal_action.pdf or call 800-986-4636.

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