When Jerilynn Kaibel, DC, became the first and only chiropractic representative to the American Medical Association's relative value scale update committee (RUC), the debate over the proper coding of chiropractic procedures began to heat up (please see "Chiropractic Gains Seat on Key AMA Medicare Committee" in the September 25, 1995 issue). The RUC's job was to develop a Physicians' Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) manual, and it was Dr. Kaibel's challenge to see that a number of chiropractic specific codes would be incorporated into the CPT manual.
With the RUC's development of the new CPT manual still underway, a a group called the chiropractic committee for the draft document, chaired by Sid Williams, BS, DC, founder and president of Life College, has just released a comprehensive document, CPDT-1'96 Chiropractic Procedural & Diagnostic Terminology. It is a first edition work and is being circulated for the chiropractic profession's review.
"Both medical and dental professions have developed code manuals to accurately report their particular services to third party payers and health organizations," explained Dr. Sid Williams. "A similar document for the description of chiropractic services is long overdue. For this reason we have agreed to provide a comprehensive guide of chiropractic services and diagnoses to the health and insurance organizations."
Dr. Williams asserts that the document will accelerate claim processing, and better manage raising health care costs. "Our profession cannot make real progress toward acceptance and recognition until business, the other professions, legislators, and the general public are aware of the clinical applications of chiropractic science."
The need for chiropractic procedural and diagnostic codes is clear. "If there has been one inadequacy in our presentation as a unique health profession, it has been in our communication of what we clinically do," said Dr. Williams.
Compensation for DCs under the medical rubric has been narrowly defined by the International Classification of Diseases codes (ICD-9), and the physical medicine section of the AMA's Current Procedural Terminology codes (CPT-4). Dr. Williams pointed to chiropractic's primary worry: "Our profession should be concerned that the continued utilization of these codes designed by the AMA eventually may result in efforts to preclude chiropractors from caring for patients who suffer from a broad spectrum of health problems."
The CPDT-1'96 codes are broken into procedural (CPC-1) and diagnostic codes (CDC-1): There are seven categories under procedures and services:
All practicing DCs are welcome to attend advisory board meetings as observers. Suggestions also will be solicited from the field and forwarded to the council. A consulting group comprised of doctors of chiropractic will be appointed to assist the advisory board in collecting and evaluating information relevant to coding changes and improvements. The names of these consultants will be published as contributors to this historic document and process. Practicing chiropractors are welcome to attend the final consensus meeting as observers.
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?
