Article - April 17, 2008 - Chiropractic Economics

National Medicare conference to address emerging issues, longstanding concerns

April 17, 2008 — The National Conference on the Future of Chiropractic in Medicare, hosted by the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) will convene April 24, in Washington, D.C., with an array of speakers and presentations.

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 and Medicare patients can best be served.

ICA hopes this conference will help craft a profession-wide action plan to address the urgent need for Medicare reform, and of chiropractic’s unique and positive role in helping the nation’s seniors.

The conference will address many of the longstanding concerns and goals of the chiropractic profession, including the expansion of chiropractic services to include coverage to Medicare beneficiaries, CMS hostility and the unfair targeting of chiropractic providers for overly aggressive enforcement activities, the need to educate policymakers on the highly clinical, the cost-effective nature of chiropractic services, and the need to mobilize patients and their families to promote a much-deserved stronger role for chiropractic in caring for the nation’s aging population.

The program will also address a host of emerging issues, including:

• The looming healthcare provider shortage in the face of 80 million Medicare beneficiaries and the opportunities it opens up for chiropractic.

• The new legislation necessary to allow doctors of chiropractic to “opt out” of the Medicare program and privately contract with beneficiaries for services, without any government role.