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
Education & Seminars
Chiropractic Colleges in Crisis
Chiropractic Colleges in Crisis

Financial pressure, enrollment declines and institutional challenges are emerging at several U.S. chiropractic colleges. Life Chiropractic College West's and Life University's struggles may be the most talked about but appear to be part of a larger story. And with recent USDE requirements threatening to hamstring federal student financing for DC degree programs, chiropractic education is facing questions for which it has no immediate answers.

 |  Digital Exclusive
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
Women's Health
The Missing Link in Midlife Female Musculoskeletal Pain
The Missing Link in Midlife Female Musculoskeletal Pain

Musculoskeletal pain in perimenopause and menopause reflects a broader physiologic shift rather than an isolated structural problem. Declining estrogen, increased inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and nervous system dysregulation collectively alter tissue quality, pain perception, and recovery capacity. Recognizing this interconnected model enables clinicians to move beyond symptom management and toward more effective, systems-based care that improves long-term outcomes for midlife women.

Sheila Payton, DC, MS
Chiropractic
Dolly Parton’s Connection to Chiropractic
Dolly Parton's Connection to Chiropractic

As the world remembers Dolly Parton following her death Aug. 25 at age 80, there is a little-known connection to the chiropractic profession worth revisiting: Dolly publicly acknowledged using chiropractic care and another famous entertainer even recalled meeting her at a chiropractor's office.

 |  Digital Exclusive
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff