Florida chiropractors exempt from COVID-19 unnecessary procedures order, says FCA

Clarifying the Florida governor’s Executive Order 20-72, “Prohibiting Unnecessary, Non-Urgent or Non-Emergency Procedures or Surgeries, the Florida Chiropractic Association (FCA) on Monday, March 23, 2020, reiterated that the order does not include chiropractic care, as DCs throughout Florida continue to serve pain-management-challenged and other patients in need of chiropractic care.

“We are in uncharted territory making daily personal, clinical and business decisions based on incomplete information and no experience in dealiing with a pandemic like COVID-19,” says Brian Bickerton, DC, and president of the Florida Chiropractic Association. “It is gratifying and encouraging to see the steady flow of information coming to the chiropractic community from international, national and state organizations, as well as highly-involved vendors and educators, all of whom want to help you…us…navigate the current challenges.

“The FCA team will remain at work and accessible to members throughout this challenge.”

The FCA interpretation of Executive Order 20-72 is that only medically unnecessary, non-urgent or non-emergency procedures or surgeries are prohibited, which, like most states currently passing orders, does not exempt chiropractic care.

“Chiropractic physicians can continue to see and treat patients,” the FCA said in a release. “Telemedicine visits can continue unabated. Chiropractic physicians can continue to see and treat patients with chronic and acute conditions, perform examinations, adjustments, physical therapy modalities, and provide treatment services, that do not consume personal protective equipment.”

The medical care prohibited under the order is:

• Elective or non-medically necessary surgical procedures;
• Surgical procedures that can be postponed without putting the patient’s immediate health, safety or well-being at risk;
• Medical procedures that would consume personal protective equipment, that can be postponed without putting the patient’s immediate health, safety or well-being at risk.

The FCA says it will continue to monitor any new executive orders and provide more information when available. For those living in Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area), chiropractic physicians are likewise exempt from the Broward County Administrator’s Emergency Order 20-01 issued March 22, 2020 (See Section 3(a)).

For more Florida information go to fcachiro.org.

For more updates, resources and articles on coronavirus for doctors of chiropractic from Chiropractic Economics go to chiroeco.com/coronavirus-covid-19.