Financial pressure, enrollment declines and institutional challenges are emerging at several U.S. chiropractic colleges. Life Chiropractic College West's and Life University's struggles may be the most talked about but appear to be part of a larger story. And with recent USDE requirements threatening to hamstring federal student financing for DC degree programs, chiropractic education is facing questions for which it has no immediate answers.
| Digital ExclusiveCongress Seeks Your Opinion on Medicare
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has alerted us that the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee is conducting a review of the Medicare program. The House is working with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the agency responsible for the Medicare program, to "eliminate waste, mismanagement and bureaucratic delays" in the program.
The ACA, you'll recall, is suing the HCFA over its Medicare+ regulations, which is Medicare's managed care plan.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has set up a web page to survey Medicare providers. That website is: www.house.gov/commerce/hcfasurvey.htm. The survey covers such areas as problems in filing claims; understanding regulations; the relationship between provider and carriers; audits; and appeals.
It's not every day that Congress asks for specific input about your practice. Take this opportunity to report your experience with the Medicare program.
You'll particularly like survey question 11: "As a provider of health care, what recommendations would you make to Congress on how we can improve our federal health care delivery system? Please provide specifics."