On numerous occasions Dynamic Chiropractic has reported on the legislation to commission doctors of chiropractic as health care officers in the US Armed Forces. The Senate bill is S.68; its counterpart in the House is H.R. 608.
H.R. 608, introduced by Congressman Lane Evans (D-Illinois), currently has 42 co-sponsors in the House, 30 democrats and 12 republicans.
While DC are not eligible to serve as commissioned officers in the Armed Forces, each of the service branches has medical service corps through which MDs, doctors of osteopathy (DOs) and dentists (DDSs) are commissioned as officers. As with these professional groups, DCs are defined as "category one" health providers by the Department of Health and Human Services. DCs are also defined as physicians under Medicare, Medicaid, and Federal Workmans' Compensation; and chiropractic services are covered under most federal employee health benefit plans.
Listed below are the current co-sponsors of H.R. 608, alphabetized by state. If your representatives are not on the list, let them hear from you.
Alabama
"DC" recently received a letter from Richie R. Roth, D.C., who is currently serving in the military as a combat engineer officer. He had a good idea that we'd like to share with the profession. Dr. Roth has been gathering signatures of support for H.R. 608. He suggests that DCs provide a sign-up sheet in their office to encourage patient support for commissioning DCs in the military.
After gathering a sheet of signatures, we suggest you send a copy to Richard Miller, director of governmental relations for the ACA and to Ron Hendrickson, executive director of the ICA.
As an example, the form would provide space for the patient to print their name, give their address, and space for a signature.
Dr. Roth expresses his distress with the military wasting the talents of DCs. "We belong either in a clinic or in a hospital treating patients and saving them from the 'knife' when we can."
Such a grass roots petition campaign could be effective. Give it a try.
Many DCs answered their country's call to duty in the Gulf War. If you are a chiropractor, or a chiropractic student, who served in Operation Desert Storm or are currently in the military, please write to "DC" and let us know.
We would like your name, military branch, military title, chiropractic college, graduation date, home state, and any other particulars that might be of interest to our readers.
We know that some DCs in the military are providing chiropractic care, albeit unofficial. Today, DCs in the military are laying the foundation for a new generation who will take their rightful place in the military as commissioned officers and doctors of chiropractic.
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