In a landmark development, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has reached a $2.8 billion settlement to resolve antitrust claims brought by health care providers, including chiropractors. The lawsuit accused BCBS of dividing the nation into exclusive regions and limiting competition, which resulted in lower reimbursements for providers. Although BCBS denies any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the settlement to avoid lengthy litigation – and you can get a piece of the pie.
DOs Not Doing Much Manipulation
A recent study revealed that osteopathic patients don't receive much "osteopathic manipulative treatment" (OMT):
Percentage of Patients Receiving OMT | DOs |
<5 | 32.1% |
5 - 15 | 39.6% |
26 - 50 | 12.7% |
51 - 75 | 3.5% |
76 - 100 | 2.7% |
No response | 9.4% |
According to this study, on average, only 18% of osteopathic patients received manipulation. These numbers seem to reflect the sad state of much of health care: the "give them a pill mentality" over hands-on care.
-------------- Johnson SM, Kurtz ME, Kurtz JC. Variables influencing the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment in family practice. JAOA, 1997;97:80-87.