The California State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) on July 1, 1992 began a pilot project in two areas of the state to test chiropractic care in a managed care environment.
According to SCIF Medical Director, Gideon Letz, M.D., the program will be "evaluating the application of the managed care concept to the care of the injured worker." It is designed to "monitor medical care of disabling back and neck strain/sprain injuries. The objective of the program is to assure quality care for these individuals and to facilitate maximal recovery with timely return to work."
Initially the pilot study will involve DCs in Northern California (Stockton area), and in Southern California (Arcadia area).
Jonathan Kantor, D.C., a chiropractor consulting on the project, stated: "The parameters for chiropractic care... have been drawn from existing work (RAND Study, Quebec Study, State of Washington Standards' Document, etc.), but lean most heavily on the Mercy Center Guidelines, the chiropractic consensus document soon to be published."
Dr. Kantor assessed the program: "There is enormous potential for gain in the State Fund's managed care program. The results of the project will be closely scrutinized. If we can demonstrate that chiropractors can deliver high quality care at reasonable cost within the California workers' compensation setting, we validate the benefits of chiropractic treatment for workers' compensation in other states. And, by extension, the benefits of chiropractic care in the larger health care systems."
The importance of these types of test projects to the future of chiropractic involvement can't be overstated. In this case, the Mercy Guidelines are providing the bulk of an effective rule base that will ultimately allow chiropractic care to be tested on a level playing field. It is hoped that those chiropractors involved will recognize the importance of the project.
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?
