On Friday, October 23, 1992, President Bush signed the Defense Authorization Bill (HR 5006). Section 505 of that bill authorizes the Secretary of Defense to "appoint chiropractors as commissioned officers in the armed forces to provide chiropractic care within the military health care system."
The long battle to get legislation passed that allows for commissioned officer status for DCs is a tribute to the perseverance and tenacity of the chiropractic profession. The struggle to overcome the discrimination inherent in the military's policy toward chiropractic, however, is far from over.
Section 505 only authorizes the appointment of DCs as commissioned officers: it doesn't mandate the military to act.
In the Navy Times, we read first hand the military's opinion of section 505: "The Defense Department has no intention of commissioning chiropractors. At a time of tight budgets, health care officials believe the treatment a chiropractor can offer is unnecessary. Expect chiropractic to lobby Congress in 1993 to force a change."
The Navy Times got one thing right: expect chiropractic to force a change.
You became a chiropractor to serve people, not an insurance company. You deserve to run a business that aligns with your values, supports your family and lights you up. Cash-based care isn’t just a pricing model – it’s a philosophy rooted in freedom, trust and respect for your patients and for yourself. Here's why - and how - to do it.
Troy University, a public university in Alabama boasting a 138-year history (1887) and current enrollment topping 14,000 students, has announced it has received program approval from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education for a new doctor of chiropractic program – only the second at a public university in the U.S. Approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is pending.
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At this very moment in history, the public is awakening. They’re questioning what they’ve been told about health – what they eat, how they think, how they manage stress, and what they’ve been prescribed. The recently released MAHA Report is a clarion call for transformation. As the public seeks answers beyond pills and procedures, chiropractic is poised to offer something more: whole-being care.