June 2006

Anti-chiropractic legislation introduced

A bill interpreted as being anti-chiropractic has been introduced into Congress. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) says legislation entitled HR 5688: The Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act is one piece in a broader campaign designed to smear the reputations of non-MD health professionals and to stifle competition within the healthcare marketplace.

The ACA has joined with other limited-licensed healthcare professionals (Coalition for Patients’ Rights) in fighting the legislation.

HR 5688 — introduced by Representative John Sullivan (R-Okla.) and other members of Congress — contains a set of odious findings regarding the public’s perception of non-MD healthcare providers. In addition, the bill’s prohibition against an individual representing “equivalent education, skills, or training” as that of an MD or DO, is so broadly written it could have a chilling effect on the communication of accurate educational and training comparisons between medical and non-medical providers, according to ACA.

“Under the guise of protecting patients, certain forces are trying to persuade the consumer public that non-MD health professionals are somehow less worthy to deliver healthcare services than are medical doctors,” said ACA President Richard G. Brassard, DC. “This misguided legislation suggests that non-MD health professionals are misrepresenting their education, skills and training, and should, under certain circumstances, be penalized if they assert they are delivering services equivalent to those of a medical doctor.”

The bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to bring charges against individuals who falsely claim to be medical doctors, and calls on FTC to identify instances in which any state public policy has permitted healthcare providers to “misrepresent” oneself as a medical doctor, an action which could serve as a direct attack on states recognizing DCs as chiropractic physicians.

The medical profession, led by the American Medical Association (AMA), has formed a coalition called “CHART” — Coalition for Healthcare Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency — to push for the bill’s enactment into law.

Earlier in June, the American Medical Association passed a formal resolution to look into the qualifications of limited license personnel. The AMA also formed a Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP), to serve as a source of information for physicians, state legislatures, courts, and regulatory agencies, and others when they consider public safety and qualifications in relation to limited-licensure healthcare providers, such as chiropractors. (See Chiropractic Economics news, “ACA joins group to protest AMA resolution,”

The ACA will coordinate an aggressive grassroots response on behalf of the chiropractic profession, including the participation of chiropractic state associations and other cooperating organizations.

The ACA believes the medical lobby will push for adoption of this legislation before Congress adjourns for the November 2006 elections.

Source: American Chiropractic Association, www.acatoday.org, Chiropractic Economics, http://chiroeco.com/news/2006/June/ACA2.php

Industry News from:
Chiropractic News from: