ACA adds muscle to Medicare parity efforts with hiring of top lobbying firm

June 28, 2018—The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has hired the Capitol Hill Consulting Group (CHCG) to add extra strength to its efforts to pass federal legislation that would provide parity to chiropractors by allowing them to perform to the fullest scope of their license in Medicare.

ACA chose to work with CHCG, which is a Washington, D.C.-based, bipartisan government relations firm, because of its strong contacts in the health care arena and, more specifically, within the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee–which will play a vital role in helping any pro-chiropractic Medicare legislation to gain momentum in Congress.

“Passage of a pro-chiropractic Medicare bill is ACA’s No. 1 legislative priority. The Capitol Hill Consulting Group will give our lobbying team the added resources they need to achieve success for our members and their patients,” said ACA President N. Ray Tuck, Jr., DC.

CHCG’s other clients include major health care groups such as the American Heart Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Among its objectives while working with ACA, CHCG will focus on activating and supporting current chiropractic champions in Congress, breaking down any barriers among members of the House Ways and Means Committee, recruiting cosponsors and finding other targets of opportunity that could bolster the chances of a pro-chiropractic Medicare bill getting passed.

The federal Medicare program, which serves as a model for private insurance plans, currently serves more than 55 million individuals. Various projections forecast the number of people age 65 or older increasing by about one-third over the next decade. Beneficiaries are currently covered for only one chiropractic service (spinal manipulation) and must either pay out of pocket or seek care from other types of providers for additional chiropractic services.

Source: American Chiropractic Association