Status Update: Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act Passes 100 Co-Sponsors
Editor's Note: This article has been updated as of Aug. 29, 2023, to reflect co-sponsor totals for both versions of the legislation on that date.
What’s the status of H.R. 1610 and S. 799, the respective House and Senate versions of the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act reintroduced earlier this year in the 118th Congress?
As of Aug. 29, H.R. 1610 had 103 bipartisan co-sponsors (49 Republican, 54 Democrat); while S. 799 had eight bipartisan co-sponsors (four Republican, four Democrat). H.R. 1610 had been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health; S. 799 had been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.
The Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act would “amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage for all physicians’ services furnished by doctors of chiropractic within the scope of their license, and for other purposes.” In the previous (117th) congressional session, the House version of the legislation reached 155 co-sponsors, while the Senate version achieved only six co-sponsors. Stay tuned!
WFC Global Patient Safety Initiative
The World Federation of Chiropractic recently announced a new initiative “aimed at reducing incidents and improving the safety culture across the chiropractic profession.” The Global Patient Safety (GPS) initiative will be overseen by the WFC Research Committee and include a scoping review, identification of best practices in incident reporting and learning, risk management in chiropractic practice and knowledge translation activities.
“While we know that serious adverse events are rare, patients with multiple co-morbidities and known risk factors require special attention,” commented WFC Secretary-General Prof. Richard Brown, DC, LLM. “The WFC GPS Task Force will highlight key areas of patient safety to support chiropractors, build and strengthen the existing safety culture and help to meet the expectations of patients and the public.”
CUKC Announces New Certificate Program in Sports Performance
Cleveland University – Kansas City has announced a new graduate certificate in sports performance. Offered beginning this fall, the 12-credit-hour program is being offered in eight-week modules through the CUKC College of Health Sciences, and focuses on exercise physiology, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, nutrition and sports performance, injury prevention and rehabilitation, performance analysis, psychology and mental skills training, and sports medicine.
“Graduate-level coursework of this kind will provide individuals with additional expertise in sports performance, and can open doors to more opportunities with sports teams, fitness centers, rehabilitation clinics, and performance enhancement centers,” said Dr. Diane Bartholomew, CUKC vice president of academic affairs. “The specialized knowledge acquired from our certificate curriculum can set candidates apart from the competition during job applications and interviews, increasing their chances of securing employment.”
In other Cleveland University – Kansas City news, the institution recently announced an agreement with Central Methodist University whereby CUKC students enrolled in the BS in Exercise Science program are eligible for early review for the Master of Science in Athletic Training offered by Central Methodist’s School of Health Professions.
Per terms of the agreement, two class seats will be reserved annually for CUKC students who meet the application criteria for enrolling in the Central Methodist University MS program.
Oklahaven 2023 "Have-a-Heart" Winners
Dr. Paul Fisher of Fisher Chiropractic Clinic in Miami, Fla., and Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, S.C., are the clinic and college “Golden Heart” winners, respectively, for raising the most funds during this year’s “Have-a-Heart” campaign. The annual Valentine’s week campaign by Oklahaven Children’s Chiropractic Center is designed to raise money for the nonprofit center while promoting the value of chiropractic care for children, particularly children with serious illnesses.
To learn more about Oklahaven, the “Have-a-Heart” campaign or make a donation to the children’s center, visit www.chiropractic4kids.com.
Editor’s Note: It’s Time to Share Your News! Chiropractic state and national associations, educational institutions and other organizations are encouraged to keep the profession abreast of their activities in the pages of Dynamic Chiropractic. Please submit your press release via email to editorial@mpamedia.com as close to the date of the news you are sharing, as our publication schedule falls in advance of print date. Note that press releases will not be republished verbatim; and that not all releases will be used due to various considerations including issue space, relevance and timing of submission.
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
| Digital Exclusive
A central challenge in creating our identity is that chiropractic is a method of care, not a technique or procedure. This is an important concept for us to promote. Our patients are treated with lifestyle modification, exercise, nutritional supplements, diet and a whole-body approach to accelerate the natural healing process. We are not simply CMT providers.
The results of a global survey released late last year (2023) unveiled some startling findings among medical and nursing students. The “Clinician of the Future: 2023 Education Edition” surveyed 2,212 students, of which 446 were in the United States, from 91 countries.
