Article - April 2, 2008 - Chiropractic News

Chiropractic College President to Chair National Medicare Conference in Washington

Dr. Carl S. Cleveland, III to Chair April 24th National Medicare Conference in Washington, DC

Carl S. Cleveland, III, DC, FICA, nationally known chiropractic educator and President of the Cleveland Chiropractic Colleges, has agreed to serve as Chair of the chiropractic profession's first national conference focusing on the future of chiropractic in the federal Medicare program. This historic event will be hosted by the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) in Washington, DC on Thursday, April 24, 2008. The objectives of this day-long, Medicare forum will be to focus the attention of the chiropractic profession on this struggling but vital program, and foster a positive dialogue on how chiropractic's Medicare role can be strengthened. This intensive one-day event will involve representatives of numerous chiropractic organizations, senior members of the US House and Senate, spokespeople from national seniors' organizations and representatives of allied health care professions facing similar challenges in the Medicare program.

"By April 2008, the Congressional legislative agenda will be all but complete and political attention will be heavily focused on the race for President in both parties and the November general elections," said ICA Legislative Committee Co-Chair Dr. Michael S. McLean. "ICA believes that this is a most opportune time to hold a focused discussion on the host of issues critical to chiropractic and chiropractic patients in Medicare, and on the health of that massive program in general. ICA hopes that this historic session will help craft a profession-wide awareness of the urgent need for Medicare reform, and of chiropractic's unique and positive role in helping the nation's seniors." Registration information is available online at www.chiropractic.org.

ICA has invited senior members of the Finance Committee of the US Senate and the US House Committee on Ways and Means, the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the Medicare program. In addition, representatives of the key Presidential candidates have been invited to offer their respective predictions and reform concepts for Medicare, as well as answer specific questions on chiropractic's Medicare role. ICA has also invited representatives of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to present their insights on Medicare's future, and how we can cooperate to strengthen patients' rights and choices, as well as bolster the general viability of the program.

The program will include panels on "Chiropractic's Practice Challenges in Medicare," with a focus on documentation, clinical necessity and other critical compliance elements, "Chiropractic's Political Challenges in Medicare," and an all-important panel discussion on coordinating a collective chiropractic response on Medicare challenges and opportunities.

"ICA has also invited the legislative committees of every state and national chiropractic organization in the country to a special forum on the morning of April 24th at which the mechanics of political action and communications coordination will be discussed, along with other cooperative initiatives that are vital to success on the Medicare issue, as well as other national political and legislative issues," said ICA Legislative Committee Co-Chair Dr. Michael S. McLean.

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