Novelist John Cheever describes a memorable scene in the Whopshot Scandal of a woman new to the neighborhood planning a big party, hiring a bartender and food servers, and inviting all the neighbors. To her mortification, nobody shows up. That's how 18 chiropractic organizations felt when they presented their perspectives at the Chiropractic Managed Care executive briefing in Coronado, California July 22-23, sponsored by the National Managed Health Care Congress (NMHCC).
The NMHCC, which holds an annual congress that attracts more than 7,000 delegates from the managed care industry, also presents several times each year executive briefings on a particular aspect of managed care. The announcement of an executive briefing on chiropractic managed care caused some anticipation, and was touted as the first national event of its kind (please see "Nat'l Managed Care Congress" in the May 20, 1996 issue). But when the program began, the speakers found themselves mostly talking to one another.
Instead of the usual attendance of 50-75 managed care officers, managers, medical directors, and sales/marketing directors from various managed care companies, less than 10 came to hear about chiropractic in managed care. The entire audience, including speakers, totaled only 39. Typically 85 percent of the audience is comprised of managed care decision-makers. For once, individual DCs outnumbered all other categories.
What does this say about the interest of the managed care community regarding inclusion of chiropractic care? The numbers seem to speak for themselves. Like giving a party where nobody comes, you end up asking yourself, "Is it us, or them?" In the case of the Whopshots, it was the neighbors. In chiropractic's case, it's managed care.
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?
