Open Letter to Congress: Support Access to Chiropractic Care for Medicare Patients
To the United States Senate and House of Representatives:
We’re happy to announce that may finally be changing. Your colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate now have the opportunity to consider the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act, which will ensure seniors have access to all services in Medicare that chiropractors are licensed to provide.
The time is overdue to expand the options for patients in Medicare. Since 1972 when Medicare introduced limited access to chiropractors, seniors were able to access chiropractors, but only for limited services. The medical profession has grown to recognize the benefits of chiropractic care. In fact, in 2017, the American College of Physicians (ACP) updated its guidelines for treatment of low back pain and now recommends using non-invasive, non-drug treatments before resorting to prescription drugs.
We believe all seniors should have the right to choose their licensed care provider under Medicare. With Medicare currently serving more than 55 million Americans, and projections for that number to grow by a third over the next 10 years, we believe Congress should ensure patients have access to all forms of care to prevent high-cost interventions. Importantly, the bill does not add new services under Medicare. It simply allows patients to choose a chiropractor when they wish to do so.
We stand ready to help Congress make that a reality. Together, we can make it happen. We appreciate your support for making patients our top priority.
Sincerely,
American Chiropractic Association
Alabama State Chiropractic Association
Alaska Chiropractic Society
American Black Chiropractic Association
Association of Chiropractic Colleges
Association of Chiropractic Colleges
Association of New Jersey Chiropractors
California Chiropractic Association
Chiropractic Association of Louisiana
Chiropractic Society of Rhode Island
Clinical Compass
Congress of State Chiropractic Associations
Connecticut Chiropractic Association
Florida Chiropractic Association
Georgia Chiropractic Association
Hawaii State Chiropractic Association
Iowa Chiropractic Society
Illinois Chiropractic Society
Indiana State Chiropractic Association
Kansas Chiropractic Association
Kentucky Association of Chiropractors
Maine Chiropractic Association
Maryland Chiropractic Association
Massachusetts Chiropractic Society
Michigan Association of Chiropractors
Minnesota Chiropractic Association
Mississippi Chiropractic Association
Missouri Chiropractic Physicians Association
Montana Chiropractic Association
NCMIC
Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association
New Hampshire Chiropractic Association
New Mexico Chiropractic Association
New York State Chiropractic Association
North Carolina Chiropractic Association
Northeast Chiropractic Council
Ohio State Chiropractic Association
Oklahoma State Chiropractic Independent Physicians Association
Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association
South Carolina Chiropractic Association
South Dakota Chiropractors Association
Tennessee Chiropractic Association
Texas Chiropractic Association
Unified Virginia Chiropractic Association
Vermont Chiropractic Association
Washington State Chiropractic Association
West Hartford Group
West Virginia Chiropractic Society
Wisconsin Chiropractic Association
Wyoming Chiropractic Association