News / Profession

Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield Fined $1.1 Million

Discrimination Against Chiropractors Cited
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff

Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the largest nonprofit health insurer in New York, has been fined $1.1 million by the state's insurance regulators.

Among other things, Empire was charged with denying health coverage to certain patients:

Denying advanced chemotherapy and bone marrow treatments to some women with breast cancer, while approving treatments for others.

Denying in vitro fertilization procedures to some while approving the procedure for others.

Paying physical therapists for certain procedures, but denying payment to chiropractors for the identical procedures.

The $1.1 million fine is the largest ever levied against a health insurer in the state of New York. Since the time of these infractions, Empire has seen the number of policyholders reduced by approximately 50 percent (to 4.8 million).

While Empire has positioned a new management team to recoup its losses, the fine should send a clear message to other carriers. The New York Insurance Department is expected to keep a close watch on Empire over the next three years.

April 1996
print pdf
Trending
News / Profession
MAHA Launches Chiropractic Hub
MAHA Launches Chiropractic Hub

Building on a historic March 2026 meeting between Make America Healthy Again and chiropractic leadership, MAHA has announced the launch of the MAHA Chiropractic Hub, “a coordinated national partnership uniting MAHA Center, MAHA Action, and the chiropractic profession, including national associations, state organizations, practitioners, educators, researchers, and patient advocates. The Chiropractic Hub will advance federal policy, expand patient access, and build broad public support for chiropractic care across America.”

 |  Digital Exclusive
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
Education & Seminars
Confronting the Threat to Chiropractic Education
Confronting the Threat to Chiropractic Education

The chiropractic profession is confronting one of the most significant federal regulatory threats it has faced in decades. A new U.S. Department of Education (ED) accountability framework – commonly referred to as the “Do No Harm” (DNH) regulation – could place many chiropractic programs at risk of losing access to federal financial aid (student loans), potentially reshaping the future of chiropractic education and workforce development across the United States.

 |  Digital Exclusive
Healthcare / Public Health
From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics
From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics

Pain has become the dominant language of musculoskeletal healthcare. Numeric pain-rating scales and symptom reports are routinely used as primary indicators of clinical success. But while pain reduction is meaningful, it is an incomplete and often misleading representation of recovery. This has real consequences for patient adherence, long-term outcomes, and how conservative care is perceived within the broader healthcare system.

Christopher Proulx, DC, PhD(ABD), CSCS