The battle continues to rage in New Jersey over the "care pathways" recently instituted by the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act. The new care pathways and gatekeepers have put a severe damper on the amount of chiropractic care automobile accident patients can hope to receive.
Perhaps the only positive outcome of this event is that the three New Jersey chiropractic state associations and four regional societies have joined together in the face of this common threat.
Well-known chiropractic authorities from every philosophical point of view have testified against the mandated care pathways, including Gerard Clum, DC, (president of Life Chiropractic College West) and Scott Haldeman,DC,MD,PhD (please see "New Jersey Modifies Onerous Auto Insurance Law in the February 22, 1999 issue, or on line at http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/17/05/13.html).
The passage of the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act has prompted several lawsuits being filed on behalf of chiropractic (please see "Chiropractic America FilesLawsuit in New Jersey," Dec. 14, 1998 issue or on line at http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/16/26/17.html).
But as one might expect, there are those within the chiropractic profession who are lending support to the new law and the auto insurers. In a letter dated February 26, 1999, Margaret McMahon, secretary of the New Jersey Health Benefits Commission, sent this letter to the state treasurer:
The Honorable James A. DiEleuterio, Jr. State Treasurer Department of the Treasury P.O. Box 002 Trenton, New Jersey 08625 Re: SHBP Appeals for Chiropractic Services
Dear Treasurer DiEleuterio: We expect to have a multitude of appeals from members to the State Health Benefits Commission in the next few months regarding denials of benefits for ongoing chiropractic services. In order for the members of the Commission to obtain background information sufficient to make informed decisions in these appeal cases and make policy decisions regarding the chiropractic benefit, the Division of Pensions and Benefits Policy and Planning Unit has planned a thre hour seminar for Commission members. Dr. Charles DuVall, the guest speaker, is a licensed chiropractor in private practice in Akron, Ohio since 1979; Board Chairman of the National Council Against Health Fraud; co-founder and President of the National Association of Chiropractic Medicine (an organization dedicated to chiropractic reform); and a consultant to many companies, organizations and government agencies. He performs retrospective, prospective, and concurrent chiropractic reviews in all fifty states and Canada, performs independent medical examinations, and is an instructor/consultant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This seminar will not be an open public meeting, and invited guests only may attend. It would be most beneficial if all those who may represent you at Commission meetings were to attend. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 9, 1999 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Division of Pensions and Benefits, 50 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey in the third floor Board Room. A copy of the agenda is attached for your information. Please assign all the staff members who might be your representative for future Commission meetings to attend the seminar. As a reminder, the following representatives have attended meetings during the past year or we have been advised might attend future meetings as your designee.
Please R.S.V.P. with the names of those who will attend to Marybeth Kelman, Acting Secretary, by March 4, 1999, in order for us to provide an adequate amount of supplies and printed materials to those who will be in atttendance. Her phone number is (609) 292-2057. Please feel free to call me at 609-292-3678 or to call Marybeth if you have questions about this matter. Sincerely,
enclosure |
The NACM has a self-appointed board; the organization holds no elections. This is the authority that the state of New Jersey has chosen to "make policy decision regarding the chiropractic benefit."
According to the enclosure, Dr. DuVall presented this material:
| Overview of Chiropractic Medicine: "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" I. General Review
II. Review of Current Scientific Literature Relative to the Efficacy of Spinal Manipulation III. Scams-Schemes-Practice Builders: How Chiropractors Learn to Make Millions
IV. Gadgets-Gizmos-"High Tech" Wizardry V. How to Avoid and Combat the Sharks VI. Yes, it could be worse -- "Alternative Medicine" and the 21st Century |
By this latest action, the state of New Jersey is seen as having intentions that exceed the reduction of automobile insurance. Those closest to the action are asking:
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
