The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) received news recently that the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) discovered inappropriate Medicare payments to chiropractors between 2013-2016 caused by a delay on the part of CMS to implement claims processing edits that automatically deny non-covered services. A few media outlets picked up on the report, focusing on the payments, not surprisingly. But there’s more to this story. The OIG report actually found that CMS’s billing edits were largely successful in preventing improper payments, and that most of improper payments were made prior to CMS finally implementing its edits in 2014.

*Member-Exclusive Content* The United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) developed in 2011 as a continuation of the work of the United States Bone and Joint Decade, which began in 2002. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) was an original founding member of the United States Bone and Joint Decade and has held a seat on the board since the beginning. USBJI’s mission is to advocate for and promote multidisciplinary, coordinated and patient-centered care to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. To that end, it has launched a number of programs to advance knowledge and improve patient care. 

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Regular attendees of ACA’s National Chiropractic Leadership Conference (NCLC) have learned to expect nature to play a supporting role during this action-packed event, and this year did not disappoint. With wind storms topping out at more than 70 mph, and the cancelling of votes in the U.S. House of Representatives to make way for the late Rev. Billy Graham to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, NCLC 2018 was especially challenging. Nevertheless, hundreds of chiropractors and students forged ahead, enthusiastically delivering the profession’s message to more than 300 officials and their staff members in the House and Senate.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year...." As it is fast approaching, you might think of Christmas, or even Thanksgiving, when you hear this phrase, but I am referring to the National Chiropractic Leadership Conference (NCLC)! There is simply no other event like it. NCLC 2018 will be my 5th NCLC and my second as a doctor, and it truly is my favorite time of the year! I consider it an honor to attend this event and I have met some of my closest friends while attending. I’d like to share my insights into the event and my take on its’ importance.

Back pain remains a persistent and debilitating problem for many people in the United States and around the world. News that the opioid crisis in America has been fueled in part by the overprescribing of pain medications for low back pain amplifies the need for the chiropractic profession to continue spreading its message about the value of a conservative approach to back pain treatment. To this end, National Chiropractic Health Month (NCHM) goes “Back to Basics” this year by focusing on overall health and injury prevention as key strategies in maintaining spinal health throughout a lifetime—and highlighting the growing body of research supporting a conservative approach to back pain treatment.