A very special meeting of chiropractic's practice consultants is scheduled to take place Tuesday, November 27, 1990 at 10:00 a.m. for the purpose of addressing an official "Code for Fair Play" outline.
The American Chiropractic Association and their chief legal counselor, George P. McAndrews, Esq., shall act as facilitator in these proceedings, however the outcome shall be that of the consensus based on those who choose to participate. Mr. McAndrews is best known to the members of the profession for his brilliant representation of chiropractic (the Chicago Four) in the victorious Wilk et al. versus AMA suit.
George McAndrews has agreed to host the conference in his offices: The Law Offices of McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd., located at 500 West Madison Street, Suite 3180, Chicago Illinois 60606 have been chosen as the site of the conference.
The proposed "Golden Rule" outline is extensive, and embodies critical points of concern to both practitioners and practice consultants of the chiropractic profession. Among those chief objectives targeted for discussion at the conference are:
- Profession-wide discouragement of overutilization,
- Excessively long-term or percentage-based contracts with practice consultants,
- Religious promotions or counseling by practice consultants,
- Unethical teaching of doctors to advertise NOOPE,
- Fee for service policies,
- Unethical teaching of false or misleading advertising claims,
- Increase doctors' financial gain through better time management and patient care -- not by raising fees,
- Prescribed care should be based on clinical necessity and not financial ability, i.e., liberal insurance plans,
- Unethical teaching of doctors to play insurance games or to engage in other fraudulent billing schemes,
and
-- Unethical teaching or use of double fee schedules --
to name but a few.
There is strong scrutiny of the ethics and practices of all health care professionals by the wary consumer as well as legislative agencies and insurances companies. A unified adoption of a professional code for practice consultants -- which will be conveyed to their disciples, the practicing DCs -- is a positive and necessary shift for the chiropractic profession.
The net results of this conference will influence all consultants, and chiropractic practitioners (and ultimately all current and future consumers of chiropractic services).
Even now, as we stand at the threshold of a new decade -- tremendous changes are taking place within the health care delivery system. It is not the prosperity of chiropractic which is at stake. Profession-wide adherence to ethical ideals and practice is the only kind of foundation on which we can base our hope to survive these sweeping changes.
All practice consultants are invited to attend. Anyone interested in further information about the November 27 conference can call (312) 707-8889.
