At 11:25 a.m., July 16, 1993, New Jersey Governor James Florio signed into law legislative bill A-1532. Known as the "ICE" (Independent Chiropractic Exam) amendment, the legislation was the result of 13 months of work to establish and clarify that only chiropractic physicians can determine the need for further chiropractic treatment of PIP (Personal Injury Protection) insureds under chiropractic care.
According to the Northern New Jersey Chiropractic Society Legislative Committee, the value of the ICE amendment to chiropractic in New Jersey is:
> declares medical doctors unqualified to
determine the need for chiropractic treatment;
> protects the chiropractic patient from medical
prejudice;
> reinforces chiropractic standards as distinct from medical standards; > chiropractic services will have to be judged by a doctor who has the same clinical skills and experience as the treating doctor, i.e., DCs reviewing DCs.
Chiropractic efforts to enact ICE were headed by co-chairs Arnold Cianciulli, DC, and Louis Rogers, DC. After the bill was signed by Govenor Florio, Dr. Cianciulli noted: "I feel it's time for the profession to recognize that although the Wilk suit has been successful for the profession, I believe each and every state association needs to re-emphasize the need to establish in the legislators' minds and on behalf of the public, that chiropractic care is separate and distinct from medical care. Otherwise, managed care will subsume the profession of chiropractic and render us a prescriptive service which will be the death knell for alternative care for the public."
Dr. Rogers added: "It is apparent that the legislature is the only recourse we have in getting any kind of legislation like this passed. The insurance commissioners have historically turned a deaf ear to our complaints as far as how unfairly our profession is treated. This is a monumental piece of legislation that was needed in New Jersey for the last ten years. The consumer has been protected."
If your state would like more information, you may contact Dr. Louis Rogers (908) 830-0716 or Dr. Arnold Cianciulli (201) 339-3186.
