Expanding Access, Branch by Branch

The big news coming from Capitol Hill isn't merely the recent introduction of a pair of bills designed to expand chiropractic services in the Veterans Affairs and military health care systems; after all, similar legislation has made its way through Congress before, never reaching the Oval Office for presidential signature. No, the news is that H.R. 802 and S. 398, both introduced on Feb. 5, 2015, and currently under review by the House Committee on Armed Services and Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, respectively, may represent the chiropractic profession's most viable opportunity to expand its ability to provide chiropractic care to two important, dramatically underserved populations: current and former members of the Armed Forces.

H.R. 802 would "require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to provide chiropractic health care services and benefits for certain new beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program" no later than Aug. 31, 2015; S. 398 would "amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 and title 38, United States Code, to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and to expand access to such care and services, and for other purposes."

2015: An Important Opportunity

Why could this type of legislation have a better opportunity of being passed this year? Three reasons:

1. Veterans are not receiving the care they deserve – and everyone knows it. This transcends any issue of chiropractic versus medical management; a gross example was exposed last year when a review of wait times, scheduling practices and other variables in the Phoenix VA Health Care System revealed "several patterns of obstacles to care that resulted in a negative impact on the quality of care provided" to veterans.
2. Several documentaries in the past few years have highlighted medical mismanagement of active-duty service members, a practice some have labeled the medical "pill mill."
3. Prevention and wellness are more than just buzzwords these days; they are priority concepts influencing all levels of health care and insurance reimbursement. Is Congress dedicated to prevention and wellness? Then it will seriously consider passing legislation that puts more preventive / wellness services (e.g., chiropractic) where our vets / service members need it.

Action Steps: What You Can Do

How can you help promote the value of H.R. 802 and S. 398 to Congress? While the American Chiropractic Association's recommendation to contact congressional members is a great idea, some believe an effective campaign to expand chiropractic services in the military / VA also requires an appeal to the patient, particularly veterans and active-duty service members. Here are a few ideas you might consider implementing in your practice:

• You communicate chiropractic's value on a daily basis in your practice; but do you also communicate to patients what they can do to help get pro-chiropractic legislation passed? Are they aware that H.R. 802 and S. 398 are under congressional review? It's one thing for the chiropractic profession to tell members of Congress chiropractic works for vets and service members; but what if Congress heard it from vets and service members directly?
• Connect with service and veterans organizations such as the Wounded Warrior Project and the American Legion. These organizations exert substantial influence; if you can get their buy-in on the value of chiropractic care, they may be able to achieve as much as or more than our professional entities ever could.