The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has joined with other provider groups to support legislation, S. 1776, introduced in Congress on Oct. 13 by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) that would permanently repeal the "flawed" formula that determines Medicare reimbursement rates.
Current federal law mandates that Medicare payments to physicians be modified annually using the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. The SGR formula ties payments to the national gross domestic product, and many in health care have expressed concerns that this system is neither accurate nor appropriate. Acknowledging problems associated with tying payments to the SGR, Congress for the past seven years has voted to overturn proposed fee cuts based on the formula.
On Oct. 16, ACA joined other health care provider organizations in the Patients' Access to Responsible Care Alliance (PARCA) to voice its strong support of ending the system that has for too long proposed unfair reimbursement rates. By joining with other providers, ACA underscores its belief that the current system is unacceptable for any health care professional.
"ACA is committed to supporting S. 1776, and any other legislation that addresses problems associated with the flawed SGR formula," said ACA President Rick McMichael, DC. "Health care services to our nation's Medicare beneficiaries should not be undervalued."
Source: American Chiropractic Association
Recent laws in New Jersey and California represent a disturbing trend that will negatively impact a practice’s ability to collect monies from patients, as well as expose them to significant penalties if the practice does not follow the mandatory guidelines to a T. Please be aware that a similar law may be coming to your state. The time to act is before the law is passed.
With estimates showing over 30 million Americans affected by peripheral neuropathy – and a significant portion underdiagnosed – it’s increasingly likely that chiropractors are already treating these patients. What’s missing is structured recognition, comprehensive management and targeted tools to slow progression, improve function and support systemic health.
Each year, ICD-10-CM is updated on Oct. 1. For 2026, there are 74,179 total codes, with 487 additions, 28 deletions and 38 revisions. Code changes are based on date of service, not the claim submission date. Services performed on/after Oct. 1 must use the new codes. While no changes affect the common spinal or extraspinal codes most frequently used by DCs, several updates may still affect your claims – particularly for comorbidities, referred pain, or trauma cases.
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