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.
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?
