Chiropractic Profession to Advocate on Capitol Hill to Increase Patient Access
Arlington, Va. — More than 500 chiropractic physicians, students and supporters will join the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to visit with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as part of Advocacy Day during the 2017 National Chiropractic Leadership Conference (NCLC).
Chiropractic supporters will urge their elected officials to enact federal legislation that would increase patient access to chiropractic services. Most notably, participants will promote the Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act (H.R. 103), which would phase-in chiropractic services at additional VA major medical facilities across the country and codify chiropractic as a standard benefit for veterans. Currently, only 67 out of just more than 150 U.S. VA medical facilities offer chiropractic services.
The use of chiropractic in the VA has risen steeply since chiropractic was first made available in 2004. Studies have shown that musculoskeletal ailments such as back pain are some of the most common conditions that veterans suffer from when returning from combat duty abroad. In addition, surveys show overuse and abuse of prescription pain medications is as prevalent among veterans as it is in the general population, making it even more important that the VA offer non-drug, noninvasive treatments to manage pain.
Along with increasing chiropractic access for veterans, chiropractors will urge support for:
• H.R. 1378, bipartisan legislation that would amend the Public Health Service Act to designate that doctors of chiropractic are eligible to compete in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program;
• H.R. 302, the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act, legislation that would ensure that sports health professionals who contract with a team are covered by their medical liability insurance while traveling across state lines; and
• H.R. 372, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act, which would increase competition in health insurance markets and lower prices for consumers.
This year, NCLC is taking place as part of DC2017, a first-of-its kind event hosted by the ACA, the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC). The event features information on new research supporting the effectiveness of chiropractic services, global perspectives on the future of the profession and inspirational sessions delivered by the profession’s most compelling thought leaders.
The American Chiropractic Association is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of ethics and patient care, contributing to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients.
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