The road to litigation is often long and winding. The Indiana Dept. of Insurance turned down that road in 1991 when it filed a lawsuit against the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. for unfair claims practices in reimbursing chiropractors. The Indiana State Chiropractic Association (ISCA) was named as an intervenor in the case.
After hearings on September 11, 1992 and November 6, 1992, the Indiana insurance commissioner issued its "final order" on February 7, 1994:
"State Farm is hereby ordered to immediately reimburse chiropractors for services under any insurance contract on an equal basis with physicians and other health care providers in compliance with Indiana Code 27-8-6-1.On September 20, 1994, Judge John Ryan issued his ruling on State Farm's petition for judicial review. He found that State Farm had violated insurance equity laws and that their actions constituted unfair claims practices (DC, Oct. 21, 1994). The ruling read, in part:
"State Farm is hereby ordered to immediately reimburse chiropractors for services under any insurance contract on an equal basis with physicians and other health care providers in compliance with Indiana Code 27-8-6-1."State Farm took the case to the Indiana Appellate Court (DC, Sept. 1, 1996). On June 19, 1996, Judge Riley handed State Farm another defeat, deciding that:
" ... State Farm paid chiropractic claims in homeowner and automobile policies at a significantly lower rate than it paid similar non-chiropractic claims."And that:
"IDI (Indiana Department of Insurance) acted properly when it ordered State Farm to implement practices to cure the irregularities..."
For more information on the decision, contact the ISCA at (317) 684-3020.
George Emmet Anderson, DC, 81, a co-founder and first president of Pacific States Chiropractic College (now known as Life Chiropractic College West), died in January at his home in the Santa Cruz mountains of Northern California.
A 1953 graduate of the Palmer School of Chiropractic, Dr. Anderson moved to Hayward, California and, with the help of co-founder George Wentland, DC, helped establish Pacific States Chiropractic College in 1976. Despite early financial and administrative setbacks, the college operated for five years before becoming Life Chiropractic College West in 1981.
At his eulogy, Life West President Gerard Clum, DC, praised Dr. Anderson for his efforts to get the college established. "Dr. Anderson went to extraordinary lengths to see his dream become a reality," Dr. Clum said. "George asked so little of anyone. Not many among us are aware of the risks he took and the price he paid to assure the success of the college -- not for himself and his family, but for the students and the supporters who trusted him and had faith in him."
Dr. Anderson is survived by Elvera Duus Anderson, his wife of 47 years; three children (Mr. Barry Anderson of Haywood, California; Mrs. Cheryl O'Donnell of Saratoga Springs, New York, and Mrs. Vickie Haghighi of San Leandro, California); and five grandchildren.
The 1998 International Conference on Spinal Manipulation (ICSM) will be held July 16-19 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The ICSM's scientific program will begin Fri. July 17 with keynote speaker Peter Rothbart, MD, whose main interest is headaches arising from cervical structures. Dr. Rothbart is president of the North American Cervicogenic Headache Society, and chairman of the chronic pain sections of the Ontario Medical Association.
On Saturday, Pran Manga, PhD, will present information on his recent study that compares American, Canadian and British health care. Dr. Manga is a professor of health economics at the University of Ottawa. He is best known for authoring the Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low Back Pain (popularly dubbed the "Manga report"). The Manga report was commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Health and was released in Sept. 1994. The report declared chiropractic management of back pain more cost effective than medical care.
And as always at the ICSM, original research abstracts have been submitted for review and presentation. For more information on this year's ICSM, call (800) 637-6244.
This coming October, the fourth annual ACA Endurance Sports Symposium will present three cash awards totaling $1,000 for excellence for papers presented at the symposium. The funds are being donated by Active Release Techniques. Paper review will be provided by the staff of the Journal of Sports Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, with Dr. Dana Lawrence overseeing selection of the winning papers. The first place paper will receive a $600 cash award; second and third place will receive $300 and $100, respectively.
This year's symposium will be held October 1-2 on the big island of Hawaii, just prior to the Ironman World Championships. For additional information, contact Dr. Donald DeFabio by telephone at (908) 771-0220, or by fax at (908) 771-0114.
Gregory Cramer, DC, PhD, has been promoted from chair of the anatomy department to dean of research at National College of Chiropractic. He was offered the position after receiving several recommendations and nominations from college faculty.
As the college's dean of research, Dr. Cramer is responsible for coordinating personnel and resources for NCC's research efforts. "I feel blessed to be part of NCC's faculty for the past 11 years," said Cramer. "I would like to create an environment in which research can continue to flourish at the college."
A 1979 graduate of National, Dr. Cramer is the co-author of the textbook Basic and Clinical Anatomy of the Spine, Spinal Cord and ANS. He has served as the clinical anatomy section editor of JNMS since 1993, and has received numerous awards for his scientific papers and teachings.
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?
