Personal Injury / Legal

390,000 Patients vs. 38 Who Received Chiropractic Care!

Michael Pedigo, DC

I have written several articles about the lawsuit ACA filed against HCFA over the Medicare issue. The lawsuit warrants yet another article, but this one is going to be short. I want to make a point that I believe strongly demonstrates the importance of the lawsuit.

One of the key points in the lawsuit is that because of HCFA's illegal regulation, non-chiropractors are allowed to render spinal manipulation to Medicare patients in HMOs, and chiropractic care rendered by chiropractors is being eliminated. Nothing drives that concern home like the following information ACA recently received.

The ACA, using the Freedom of Information Act, requested how much chiropractic care was being provided to Medicare patients in large HMOs. Here's just one example: PacifiCare of California reported they had 390,000 Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in its plan in 1996. Are you sitting down? Of those 390,000 members, only 38 received chiropractic care, and we don't even know if a doctor of chiropractic performed those 38!

Your support of this lawsuit is critical to its success. Send your checks to ACA's HCFA lawsuit:

Legal Action Fund/
HCFA Lawsuit
P.O. Box 75359
Baltimore, MD 21275

September 1999
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