A federal judge in Washington state has ruled that the existing alternative care law should not apply to ERISA plans (approximately 50% of the health plans in Washington). The law required health insurance companies to offer "any category of provider" which would ultimately include at least one chiropractor in each plan. The ruling is expected to be appealed by State Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn. If so, the law will remain in effect during the lengthy appeals process. This would obviously be a step backwards for all forms of "alternative care." For more information, visit the website of the Washington State Insurance Commissioner's Office at [url=http://www.wa.gov/ins]http://www.wa.gov/ins[/url].
Recent laws in New Jersey and California represent a disturbing trend that will negatively impact a practice’s ability to collect monies from patients, as well as expose them to significant penalties if the practice does not follow the mandatory guidelines to a T. Please be aware that a similar law may be coming to your state. The time to act is before the law is passed.
With estimates showing over 30 million Americans affected by peripheral neuropathy – and a significant portion underdiagnosed – it’s increasingly likely that chiropractors are already treating these patients. What’s missing is structured recognition, comprehensive management and targeted tools to slow progression, improve function and support systemic health.
Each year, ICD-10-CM is updated on Oct. 1. For 2026, there are 74,179 total codes, with 487 additions, 28 deletions and 38 revisions. Code changes are based on date of service, not the claim submission date. Services performed on/after Oct. 1 must use the new codes. While no changes affect the common spinal or extraspinal codes most frequently used by DCs, several updates may still affect your claims – particularly for comorbidities, referred pain, or trauma cases.
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