October 2006

Congress passes chiropractic legislation for military

Congress passed legislation requiring the Pentagon to conduct a study on providing chiropractic care to all members and former members of the Armed Forces, their families, and reservists. The legislation was included as a provision in HR 5122, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, which passed the House on Sept. 29 and the Senate on Sep. 30.

The study must be completed and submitted to Congress by March 31, 2008.

Congress expects the study mandated by the legislation to consider any relevant findings of an upcoming Navy research report designed to assess progress of the military chiropractic program and the efficacy and application of chiropractic health care services in reducing musculoskeletal disabilities among active-duty personnel.

Currently, only 42 medical treatment facilities in the military health system, all within the continental United States, offer chiropractic healthcare services. Last year in a step toward full implementation, Congress directed the Air Force to place a doctor of chiropractic at 11 additional bases in the United States. The Air Force has yet to act on that order.

HR 5122 has been sent to the White House, where the president is expected to sign the legislation.

Source: American Chiropractic Association, www.acatoday.org

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