Chiropractic Future has submitted three formal filings to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in an effort “to challenge systemic inequities that continue to restrict reimbursement, limit access, and enable discriminatory treatment of doctors of chiropractic throughout the healthcare system.” Submitted to the DOJ’s Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force, the filings address illegal anticompetitive practices including provider discrimination, Medicare coverage disparities, and ERISA abuse and market distortion.
A June 19th press release summarized each of the three filings submitted to the DOJ task force:
Provider Discrimination: “Despite legal protections under the Affordable Care Act [42 U.S.C. § 300gg-5], doctors of chiropractic continue to face unequal reimbursement, preauthorization barriers, and unjustified network exclusion. These actions are imposed even when chiropractors deliver services within their licensed scope that are billed using the same codes as other providers. These practices suppress competition and block patient access to proven, cost-effective care.”
Medicare Disparities: “Doctors of chiropractic are federally recognized as “physicians” under 42 U.S.C. § 1395x(r), yet current CMS rules limit Medicare reimbursement to spinal manipulation only. This exclusion applies even to services such as evaluations, diagnostics, and rehabilitative care that fall within a chiropractor’s licensed scope of practice. These same services are routinely reimbursed when performed by other Medicare-recognized providers. This policy restricts patient access, raises costs, and undermines clinical equity.”
ERISA Abuse: “Self-funded plans increasingly invoke ERISA preemption to bypass state laws and enforce discriminatory benefit designs. These practices allow insurers to reimburse doctors of chiropractic at lower rates, impose arbitrary visit limits, and recoup payments without due process. Such tactics violate fiduciary duties and suppress chiropractic participation in favor of more expensive provider types.”
Chiropractic Future’s release also acknowledged the power of ongoing outreach and collaboration within the chiropractic profession to help evoke change, “[recognizing] the important contributions of other national chiropractic organizations that have submitted comments to the Department of Justice addressing anticompetitive healthcare regulations. The chiropractic profession is strengthened when multiple voices work to expose and challenge systemic barriers. These independent efforts highlight a shared goal of ensuring patients have access to care from all qualified providers, supported by fair and consistent reimbursement policies.”
Read the complete release, which includes all three DOJ filings in PDF format, on the Chiropractic Future website under the News tab. To learn more about Chiropractic Future, read our feature article in the April 2025 issue: “The Chiropractic Future Strategic Plan: Building a Thriving Profession Together."
