OLYMPIA, Washington -- A new law in Washington state requires that after June 6, 1996, the license of any regulated health care provider be suspended if they default on a federal or state-guaranteed educational loan or service-conditional scholarship.
Under that law, the first licenses of Washington state health care practitioners have been indefinitely suspended by the state Department of Health for defaulting on student loan payments.
Not surprisingly, the first licensees suspended for failure to pay student loans are four chiropractors.
Practitioners charged with nonpayment or default have 28 days from notification to respond to the state's department of health. If no response is received, the license is suspended without a hearing.
To be reinstated, providers must have a written release from the lending institution that indicates they are making payments under an approved payment schedule. During the suspension, the practitioner must continue following all requirements for licensure.
Suspensions resulting from default on student loans will be included on the monthly summary of disciplinary actions issued by the communications office of Washington state's department of health.
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
| Digital Exclusive
A central challenge in creating our identity is that chiropractic is a method of care, not a technique or procedure. This is an important concept for us to promote. Our patients are treated with lifestyle modification, exercise, nutritional supplements, diet and a whole-body approach to accelerate the natural healing process. We are not simply CMT providers.
The results of a global survey released late last year (2023) unveiled some startling findings among medical and nursing students. The “Clinician of the Future: 2023 Education Edition” surveyed 2,212 students, of which 446 were in the United States, from 91 countries.
