A group of 12 Washington, D.C.-based alternative health care associations recently formed the Coalition for Quality Care and Competition to lobby Congress and the Clinton administration for inclusion in the as yet unknown proposals on health care reform.
Coalition members include the American Chiropractic Association, American Psychological Association, the American Optometric Association, the American Nurses Association, and other national non-MD health provider associations.
"Each of these groups is concerned that health care reform will put their providers under MD-controlled managed care settings, eliminate their state enacted insurance equality laws, and leave them generally unrepresented in the new system," said Mr. Paul Kelly, the ACA's assistant director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. The coalition plans to promote their services as often less expensive than those of MDs and of equal or better quality.
Several coalition members have already met with the Clinton "transition team" during the period following the election. One of these representatives, Atul Gawande, is now senior analyst for planning and evaluation within the Department of Health and Human Services, and also serves on Hillary Clinton's Task Force on Health Care Reform.
To strengthen the chiropractic profession's standing, the ACA has provided key members of the task force with in-depth research packets containing information on chiropractic cost-effectiveness and efficacy. These packets were delivered to 70 top task force officials who will influence coverage and payment issues.
The coalition plans to take formal action before President Clinton presents the health care reform legislation to Congress in May.
