Dr. William Owens is an associate adjunct professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, as well as the University of Bridgeport, College of Chiropractic; and an adjunct professor of clinical sciences at Texas Chiropractic College. He is presently in private practice in Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., and generates the majority of his new-patient referrals directly from the primary care medical community. Contact him at dr.owens@academyofchiropractic.com.
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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