Medicare
Legislation championed by ACA to expand Medicare coverage of services was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018.
The Chiropractic Patients' Freedom of Choice Act, would allow Medicare beneficiaries to access the chiropractic profession’s broad-based, non-drug approach to pain management, which includes manual manipulation of the spine and extremities, joint mobilization, soft-tissue massage techniques, physiological therapies, exercise instruction and activity advice. The bill adds no new services; it only allows access to those current Medicare benefits that chiropractors are licensed to provide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Support for Chiropractic in Medicare: A Letter to the U.S. Congress
"Bill to Expand Medicare's Chiropractic Coverage Brings Momentum to Historic Effort" (PDF)
The American Chiropractor, February 2019
Press Release (11/19/2018): House Introduces Bill to Expand Medicare Coverage of Chiropractic Services
Bill Text
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Medicare Parity
Medicare parity is ACA's top legislative and regulatory priority. In order to best serve their senior patients, chiropractic physicians should be allowed to practice to and be reimbursed for the fullest extent of their licensure, training and competencies.
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. Chiropractic inclusion in the Medicare program was established in 1972 and has seen little change since then, other than elimination of the X-ray requirement in 1997.
Cost Effectiveness of Chiropractic for Medicare Patients
Medicare Timeline through 2018 (PDF)