End of Year 2016 Seminars

~~~ End of Year 2016 Seminars  ~~~

Date: Thursday, December 1, 2016

Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location: O'Fallon, Illinois

Location address:

Country Inn & Suites

116 Regency Park

O'Fallon, IL 62269

Hotel phone: 618-622-8600 for direction purposes only

To register or for questions please call: (618) 395-3162

Date: Saturday, November 19, 2016

Time: 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Location: Portland, Oregon

Location address:

 Holiday Inn-Portland/Airport

 8439 NE Columbia Blvd.

Portland, OR 97220

Hotel phone: (503) 256-5000 for direction purposes only

To register or for questions please call: (618) 395-3162

Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016

Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Location: Mukilteo, Washington

Location address:

 Staybridge Suites

9600 Harbour Place

Mukilteo, WA 98275

Hotel phone: (425) 493-9500 for direction purposes only

To register or for questions please call: (618) 395-3162

Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016

Time: 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Location: Pacific, Washington

Location address:

 Quality Inn & Suites

 415 Ellingson Road

Pacific, WA 98047

Hotel phone: (253) 288-1916 for direction purposes only

To register or for questions please call: (618) 395-3162

ICD-10 Migration and Episode Care

Chiropractic Medicare 2015

1.  ICD-10 Migration

2. Episode Care

1.  ICD-10 Migration

     On October 1, 2015 the ICD-9 Code sets used to report medical diagnosis and inpatient procedures will be replaced by ICD-10 code sets.  Those using certified software should be compatible with both ICD-9 and ICD-10. Your software company will provide tools to change over to ICD-10 and have the training for the provider to properly code.  If you have questions about your software being able to "Migrate to ICD-10" please call your software company TODAY.

     If you are not paperless, you may wish to print out the ICD-10 codes for your review.  It will print over 60 pages.  As you review, you will soon see very few of the ICD-10 codes will be used in your practice. Review the list and mark your codes.

     The problem for our profession is real. Somewhere around eleven thousand of the 60 thousand practicing Chiropractors became paperless and Medicare compliant.  For those not using certified software, be prepared for major delays in reimbursement by Medicare and insurance companies.  I strongly recommend having ALL your billing up-to-date prior to October 15th of this year.

2.  “Episode”

     Medicare carriers are now reviewing Chiropractic care by “Episode” units.  I have no problem with that. Our job in Medicare is NOT treating patient symptoms, but correcting vertebral subluxations.  As long as you practice like a Chiropractor in Medicare.....the fewer problems you will have. YOUR SUCCESS AND SECURITY IS UP TO YOU!    

     Be a Doctor of Chiropractic........Remember, always tell the truth!   

Open Enrollment and ICD-10

Newsletter

December 11, 2014

Chiropractic Medicare

"Open Enrollment and ICD-10"

 

2015 Medicare Participation Enrollment period is open, running from mid-November through January 31, 2015. This Open Enrollment Period gives Medicare Providers the opportunity to change their participation status. You can also access your new 2015 Medicare Fee Schedule by going to your carrier’s website.

If you choose to change your Medicare Participation status, you can do so with a certified letter to your Medicare Carrier indicating your change in the Medicare Part B Program effective January 2015. (Those in possession of our Chiropractic Medicare DVD and booklet, see example letter page 42 in booklet.)

CMS has released their final ICD-10 rule, indicating implementation of ICD-10 will occur October 1, 2015 with no further delays.

The implementation of ICD-10 will require us to change the way we called patient data and document in our charts. The change that must occur deals with being more “specific” to the highest degree. The more specific the data collecting and documentation the easier it will be to find the correct ICD-10 code. If you are using a certified software with all of its parts, when your data collecting is complete, your software should be able to do the conversion automatically from ICD-9 to ICD-10. Please make sure to communicate with your certified software company about getting the new ICD-10 codes and training for correct use.

Insurance companies are determining, with clarification from CMS, which specific codes are to be used and acceptable by providers. The key will be specific data collecting on all preliminary forms so that your software can either do the conversion or prompt you for more specificity to choose the correct ICD-10 code. DO NOT WAIT to review your data collecting for “specific” information. If you wait until October 2015 you could have a long spell of no commercial insurance or Medicare reimbursement.

Remember, while preparing for ICD-10 implementation, we must still be doing Medicare correctly. Also, doing Electronic Health Records or “EHR” (being paperless) is only one part of the seven steps necessary to become Medicare Compliant. You can either write your own Medicare Compliance Policy Book activating the requirements in your office, or you may purchase a Medicare Compliance book like you did with HIPAA.

CAQH, CMS 855i, and Audits

Newsletter
March 4, 2013
Chiropractic Medicare
CAQH Reminder

Another reminder to update your CAQH Universal Provider Data Source credentialing. To update your application, go to CAQH Universal Provider Data Source https://upd.caqh.org.oas. Failure to update your information may jeopardize the relationship between you and your authorized participating plan.

CMS 855i Application, http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms-List.html, another timely form, must be completed every 5 years or anytime you have data change (name, address, etc.). Check your records to be sure your CMS 855i application has not surpassed 5 years. You may not receive a notice from your Medicare carrier, just denial of Medicare claims.

NOTE: Now that the EHR Registration and Attestation System comes to an end, I suspect we again will see Medicare audits. It will be interesting to see if the majority of Medicare audits will be with those Chiropractors that went through the Medicare Attestation and received incentive payments or will be done on those Chiropractors that did not become certified.

2013 Spring Seminar Schedule:
March 21 - Kokomo, Indiana at the Courtyard Hotel Kokomo – 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, EST.
March 23 – Bluffton, South Carolina at Unitarian Universalist Church – 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm EST.

Step 6 of the 7 Mandated Steps "Enforcement through Publicized Disciplinary Guide-lines and Policies Dealing with Ineligible Persons"

Newsletter

March 19, 2012

Chiropractic Medicare

"Medicare Compliance"

Step 6 of the 7 Mandated Steps

Dear Doctors and Staff,

Seems like a slow process, however, several Chiropractors and their staff are realizing "becoming compliant in Medicare" is different than learning the correct way to do Medicare.  Even though Chiropractors have a chiropractic Medicare billing error rate of 67%, that has very little to do with becoming "compliant." The error rate of 67% simply means the majority of Chiropractors and their staff does not know the correct way to do Medicare. Becoming compliant in Medicare is when you have implemented the seven (7) mandatory steps in your practice to stop fraud and Medicare abuse.  Over the past several weeks, I have been talking about each of the seven mandatory steps.

Medicare Compliance Step # 6

Enforcement through Publicized Disciplinary Guide-lines and Policies Dealing with Ineligible Persons:

You must have written policy for your practice that apply appropriate discipline sanctions on those officers, employees, staff, etc., who fail to comply with applicable statutory Medicare requirements and with the contractor's written standards of conduct.  You shall have a list of policies which include specific sanctions.  You shall have factors considered before disciplinary actions are imposed.  You shall have a hand written guideline in regards to Progressive Discipline along with the elements of a progressive discipline system.

You shall also have written policies and guidelines in regards to the employment conduct with ineligible persons.  Your guidelines should include how to conduct an employee background check along with an employee application and screening that answers all the necessary information in regards to an employee application.

The purpose of these seven (7) steps in Chiropractic Medicare Compliance is to stop fraud, abuse and errors.  As you will see....the program is extremely effective.  Next week we will cover item # 7, "Responding to Detected Offenses, Developing Corrective Action Initiatives and Reporting to Government Authorities" as mandated by the government.

Becoming compliant in Medicare can be fairly easy or so difficult many will not even try.  That is up to you.  We have put all the difficult stuff together for you.  Now you must decide if you are going to become compliant.

Have questions? Give Dr. Street a call today at (618) 395-3800.

Spring 2012 Seminar Schedule:

*Thursday, March 22, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm at Staybridge Suites - St. Louis, MO

*Thursday, March 29, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm at Urbana Country Club, Urbana, IL

*Thursday, April 19, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm at the Chariot Hotel - Louisville, KY

*Thursday, May 24, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm at King Oscar Hotel, Auburn, WA

*Thursday, May 24, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm at Staybridge Suites, Mukilteo, WA

To Register Call:  (618) 395-3800

Three Important Areas

Newsletter
February 8, 2012
Chiropractic Medicare
Three Important Areas We ALL MUST become Proficient In!

Dear Doctors and Staff,

This is the year for Chiropractors in Medicare.  Last year the Inspector General indicated that out of 100 claims filed to Medicare by Chiropractors, 67 had errors.  They believe they have overpaid Chiropractors by millions. With that in mind, nearly every Chiropractor filing Medicare claims will be audited in 2012.

There are three key areas in which we must be prepared:

First, we must know the correct way to provide great Chiropractic care to our seniors and document by federal standards. You must know the correct way to do Chiropractic Medicare!!! If you don't know the correct way to do Medicare an audit will be devastating.

The second area of our concern is HIPAA (i.e. knowing how to protect personal Health Information in your office, developing your in-house HIPAA policies, procedures and training.)

The third area of concern is becoming Medicare Compliant. By the end of 2012 each and every Chiropractic office must be aware and prepared for the seven (7) areas of compliance set by the Federal Government.

We offer many helpful items to help with these areas to help you get prepared. If you have questions, comments, concerns about Chiropractic Medicare, please give me a call at 618-395-3800.

Warmest regards,
Dr. Street

Electronic Billing Electronic Health Records (EHR) ~ Newsletter October 31, 2011

Newsletter
October 31, 2011
Chiropractic Medicare
Electronic Billing
Electronic Health Records(EHR)

Dear Doctors and Staff,

Electronic Billing and Electronic Health Records (EHR) are here to stay.  If you have procrastinated and presently still doing paper claims...Listen up!

We are in a window right now that requires an ACTION STEP.  You have ONLY 60 days to call an Electronic Billing Company (contact your Medicare Carrier for references and/or fellow Chiropractors already on billing software), get the program up and running in your practice.  Make sure the software is the certified X12 version 5010 software that can handle ICD-10 Codes.

Those that are using electronic billing, your software company should be preparing to upgrade from 4010 A1 software to x12-5010 software.  They should contact you with the new downloads, do testing to be sure all is functioning like it should, PRIOR to January 1, 2012.  If they have not called or contacted you with a time for update, YOU call them.  Do NOT put it off....Call today!

Electronic Health Records (EHR) is going to take place.....with or without you.  The time is quickly getting here where we must know and follow the Medicare guidelines....Perfectly.  Every Chiropractor will be audited in 2012 and by 2015, audits will be part of the regular Medicare program built into your Electronic Health Records and overseen by your own in house monitoring.  Everything is on a time line.  If your interested in the CMS incentive of up to $44,000.00 and if you plan on being in practice in 2015......you need to get going TODAY!

FIRST....Learn the mandatory rules in Chiropractic Medicare.  You can review our "The Basics" Medicare DVD and booklet or order it today.

SECOND....If you are electronic billing presently, call your company asking about the 5010 upgrade.  If your not doing electronic billing....make it happen QUICK!

If you have questions...give me a call!  I will soon have a "Chiropractic Compliance Handbook" ready to help my fellow chiropractors and staff with becoming compliant in Medicare and Electronic Health Records transition.

Maintenance Care? ~Sept 19th

"Maintenance Care" in my Chiropractic office is when a patient enters my office, they are checked, have NO subluxations and they go home.  The Medicare Program has twisted Chiropractic minds so Chiropractors forget that we have but one job in Medicare; find, prove and correct vertebral subluxations (vertebral displacements). That is all that is reimbursed to Chiropractors in the Medicare Program.

Patient symptoms are used by Chiropractors to help locate the subluxations and/or malfunctions of organs.  Just because the patient has NO symptoms does not mean the patient has NO subluxation and is now "maintenance care".  The patient has either a new condition, exacerbation, accident, neuronal component or chronic state.
To meet Medicare coverage criteria, a chiropractic office visit adjustment should be aimed at correcting subluxations related to acute injuries/reinjures or exacerbations.  The result of the Chiropractic adjustment is expected to be an achievable improvement and with a clearly defined point.  Once the maximum benefit has been achieved for a given condition, on-going maintenance therapy is not considered medically necessary under the Medicare Program.

Maintenance therapy is defined by Medicare as a treatment plan that seeks to prevent disease, promote health and prolong and enhance the quality of life, or therapy that is performed to maintain or prevent deterioration of a chronic condition.  Medicare does not cover maintenance therapy.
The recommendation here is: be a Chiropractor and prove the subluxation.  Document by "Federal Standards".  Listen well to the patient and correct vertebral displacements (subluxations).  Medicare has excellent Chiropractic coverage as long as we practice like Chiropractors.  If you are correcting vertebral subluxations for your Medicare patient and calling that adjustment "maintenance care" because you do not know how to document, then you have just performed a covered service in Medicare, did not "document the Chiropractic necessity of care", and cheated your patient from Medicare reimbursement. 

Remember....correcting the vertebral subluxation is the only covered service in Medicare.....and the only service we Chiropractors are mandated to bill to the Medicare Carrier. Performing a covered service and not billing that service, because of lack of knowledge or thinking it does not have to be documented or billed, is unfair to the consumer, your patient and to Chiropractic in general. As a Medicare provider, you signed a contract with our government so you have the privelige to see Medicare patients.... and that YOU will know and follow the Medicare guidelines.

Quitting Medicare

First of all, you must understand that if you continue to provide the payable service of 98940, 98941 or 98942 to any patient that has Medicare coverage, you cannot "Quit" or disassociate yourself from the Medicare Program. 

The only way to avoid the Medicare rules is to provide your covered services for "free" to the Medicare patient, or refer them to other offices that accept Medicare. If you have a Medicare Provider Number, that means you signed a contract giving you privilege to provide Chiropractic adjustments for Medicare consumers, and that you will know and follow all Medicare guidelines.

Chiropractors cannot "OPT-OUT" of Medicare.  You can either adjust Medicare patients and follow the guidelines or provide "free" adjustments or not adjust Medicare patients. How do you get out of paying taxes? You don't. Remember: Medicare is a U. S. Government Program.  Do it correctly or don't do it at all!

If you are correcting vertebral subluxations that is a covered service in Medicare. When you provide a covered service, you must bill Medicare in a reasonable amount of time, one year or less.  Both participating and non-participating providers must collect the 20 % not paid by Medicare, from your patient or their supplemental insurance.  It is against the law to practice "NO out of pocket expenses" with Medicare.

Other Payers on a Medicare Patient

There are specific guidelines we all must know and follow as we see Medicare patients that have another primary payer other than Medicare. (e.g., Workers Comp., Auto Insurance, Personal Injury, etc.)  Keep in mind, we are required to bill Medicare for ALL covered services even if there is another payer.

As a Participating Provider, you may bill your normal PI fees on this Medicare patient to all other payers and collect above the Medicare fees from other payers. 

Non-participating Providers, even though they receive the highest reimbursement from Medicare (i.e. the limiting charge), you must NEVER bill or collect from any payer on this Medicare patient above the limiting charge. (The limiting charge is the amount your Medicare carrier has set for your local.)  Item 10a through 10c on the claim form or in the electronic billing format will tell the Medicare Carrier (and other payers) who is responsible for payment.

Make a copy of the claim to the primary payer other than Medicare e.g., Workers Comp., Auto Insurance, Personal Injury, etc., and also, send a copy of the claim to the Medicare Carrier.  Be sure when billing another payer on this Medicare patient, to have the patient sign an ABN each visit, for both covered and non-covered services and use all modifiers, since Medicare will not pay.  (Example:  98941 AT GA)

The advantage of billing Medicare on this PI claim is if the PI claim fails and your patient loses the case, now Medicare will pay most of the claim because it was billed within the year time limit with all the correct modifiers and fees.
 
Questions? Give me a call today at 1-800-MY CHIRO.

Sincerely,
Dr. Street

Newsletters from June 2011

June 2011

June 3, 2011
Chiropractic Medicare Compliance

What do the typical Chiropractor and their staff need to do to become compliant in the future Medicare arena?

Relax!  Sit back and review materials as they are presented.  I recommend not spending big bucks for software right now.  Remember the rules for becoming compliant are still being discussed with many unanswered questions.

We have two important Medicare issues to understand.  First, learning and doing Chiropractic Medicare so our patients receive their needed Chiropractic adjustments.  Secondly, doing Chiropractic Medicare correctly with proper procedure, S.O.A.P. notes and documenting the Chiropractic necessity of care so when audited, either in house or by your Medicare Carrier, you are successful. By doing Medicare correctly, once you have become compliant, your in-house audits will reveal you do, in fact, know how to do Medicare correctly. 

Most important, be sure you know how to do Medicare correctly.  If you are not sure, consider our Chiropractic Medicare DVD and booklet. Once you are actively improving your record keeping and documentation, now consider becoming Medicare Compliant.  First move, you should appoint a Compliance Officer for your Chiropractic Business. (You or one of your Staff)  The Compliance Officer's job is to start collecting information for implementing proper procedures to make your office compliant.  In the next few weeks we will have a Chiropractic Medicare Compliance Guidelines Booklet available for our fellow Chiropractors and staff.

Remember.....everyone has to do this, so keep it as simple as possible and keep on going. 

June 10, 2011
"Unusual payments and X-ray vs. P.A.R.T"

The past couple of weeks our patients and many doctors are receiving checks and direct deposits from the Medicare carriers in the amounts of around $1.60 for adjustments provided in early 2010.  Those checks and deposits represent the fee changes that occurred in 2010.  Many patients do not understand why they receive this money.

NOTE - We constantly get the question... "Must I take x-rays of the regions of the patient adjusted each 12 months?"

ANSWER - If you use an x-ray to prove a subluxation, YES, you must have x-rays of all the regions you adjust and those films must be less than 12 months old.

If you chose to not take an x-ray on your Medicare patients each 12 months, you can complete a P.A.R.T. form each visit.  Using x-rays to prove the subluxation is by far the best.  You are the authority of information you find on the x-ray.  Using a P.A.R.T. form is not as effective and safe simply because anyone else can review the P.A.R.T. form and may determine something different than you.

June 14, 2011
"PI & Medicare"

When a Medicare patient enters your office that has been in an auto accident, remember, they are still a Medicare patient.

If you are a non-participating provider, you must not bill the PI Insurance Company above the limiting charge set by your Medicare Carrier.  As a participating provider, you can bill your normal PI fee.

The Medicare patient should sign an ABN each visit so they are aware Medicare will not pay for any services.  When billed to the PI Insurance, the AT modifier is also used indicating "Active Treatment".  Example:  98941 AT GA.  The GA modifier is used if the patient signs an ABN for a covered service and a GX modifier is used if the patient signs the ABN for any non-covered service in

Medicare. Item 10a thru 10c on the claim, when completed, tells the PI Insurance Company that it is their responsibility.  The Medicare Carrier should pay nothing on this claim, unless the PI Insurance Company wins the case and pays nothing.
You can now take the denial letter from the PI Insurance Company, mail a copy to Medicare, and Medicare will now pay the claim.

IMPORTANT:  If for some reason, Medicare pays on this PI case, and the PI Insurance also pays, if you do not refund the money back to Medicare within a specific time, Medicare will take that money out of your (The Doctors) Social Security account.

June 20, 2011
"Do you have a Medicare Compliance Plan?"

Years prior, violations were limited.  However, now violations are staggering and enforcement carries major disabling fines.  Willful neglect is simply not knowing, or knowing and doing nothing.  The time of sitting back, going with the flow and doing/knowing nothing is over.

It is mandatory to have an in-office compliance program.  Your office will need a HIPPA Privacy Officer, HIPPA Security Officer and a Compliance Officer.  These are the three people asked for in an audit.

Here are the five best ways to come up with an audit:

1. Disgruntled Employee - usually comes with a filed complaint.




2. Patient Complaint - usually from billing error or patient misunderstanding.




3. Doctor Complaint - usually from questionable advertising, waiving copayments, etc.




4. X-ray Practices - most of the time while using outside x-ray facilities.




5. Errors in billing or suspicious billing practices, CMT’s, coding, etc.

If you find an in-office error, do not hesitate refunding the carrier before your carrier finds the error.

Finally, each office must have a written Policy and Procedure Plan for open line in-office communications.

We soon will have an example OIG Compliance Plan that will be available.  In the meantime, be sure you are doing Medicare correctly.  All of this and much more can be found in our Chiropractic Medicare DVD.  Thank you for your interest.

Newsletters from May 2011

May 2011

May 16, 2011

Just because you personally have not been involved in a Medicare audit does not mean you can let your defenses down!  

Palmetto GBA, the Medicare Carrier of California and Nevada issued a letter to Jurisdiction 1 Health Care Providers talking about November 2010 Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) claims error rate on paid claims error rate results nearly TWICE the national average for services rendered by Part B. All Medicare carriers have this information and are doing the same!     

The letter stated "BY FAR, the major component to the claims paid error rate is the lack of adequate documentation to support services billed."  The letter also stated, "You control the documentation describing the services your patient received, and your documentation serves as the basis for the bills sent to Medicare for the services you provided.  If your documentation does not support the services on the claim, then a payment error exists." 

Palmetto and MOST other carriers will be undertaking an AGGRESSIVE approach designed to address the cause of documentation errors.  They will INCREASE the level and frequency or pre-payment and post-payment reviews across all provider types. 

Medically unnecessary services are the result of:  
1.  Undocumented services. 
2.  Improperly documented services. 
3.  Insufficiently documented services.  

If you, as a Chiropractor and/or staff, do not know specifically what documentation is or believe documentation is only your S.O.A.P. notes please consider our Chiropractic Medicare DVD.  These Medicare Carriers are ALL stepping up audits because they are aware most Chiropractors believe Chiropractic documentation is the S.O.A.P. notes....IT IS NOT!
Chiropractors must do Medicare correctly as a Chiropractor which is different than any other healthcare providers in Medicare. DOCUMENTATION IS WITH A FEDERAL DOCUMENT, NOT JUST S.O.A.P. NOTES!

May 18, 2011

Just like the bill in New Mexico, Illinois Senate Bill 1843 attempts to change the whole meaning of chiropractic by passing a law that does not "broaden the Chiropractic Scope of Practice.... but changes the foundation of chiropractic. Senate Bill 1843 has already passed the Senate and headed to the Illinois House of Representatives. This is NOT an ICA/ACA battle!!!! This is a chiropractic battle to preserve chiropractic as originated. The bill was structured by Dr. Winterstein of National University whose goal is to make chiropractic into Medicine. Illinois, being the only Medical Practices State, has been Dr. Winterstein's dream for changing chiropractic into another health discipline.

Please take a few moments to go online and type in State of Illinois Representatives. Hit search. There you will find a list of Illinois State Representatives. Please call as many as you can and ask them to defeat Senate Bill 1843 or call 1-800-423-4690 for instructions.

ICA Calls for Defeat Illinois Senate Bill 1843 The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) and the International Chiropractors Association Political Action Committee (ICA-PAC), in response to requests from large numbers of members in Illinois, are calling on all Members of the Illinois House of Representatives to vote NO on Senate Bill 1843.   This legislation contains language that states that, “nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit a chiropractic physician from providing advice regarding the use of non-prescription products.” The danger in non-prescription drugs being recommended by untrained individuals is of grave concern to ICA and can certainly put the public at risk. Likewise, doctors of chiropractic have no formal training in oxygen therapies that would be authorized by the bill.   The removal of the defining language that expressly states that the practice of chiropractic is without the use of drugs or surgery clearly tips the balance in the direction of the application of drugs and since no additional education or testing or any other qualifications are mandated, this legislation inherently places the public at risk.

We urge you to vote NO on SB 1843 because:

·   It places the public at risk since the new authorities given to chiropractors to advise on “non-prescription products” which incorporates a vast range of over-the-counter substances which if inappropriately used can cause great harm, does not require any additional education or testing.

·   Chiropractic is, by its longstanding educational and definitional history, a drugless profession.

·   The public is entitled to one truly drugless healing profession and chiropractic has filled this role with proven clinical and cost effectiveness for more than 100 years.

At the top of ICA’s concerns regarding this legislation is public safety.  Studies have estimated that as upwards of 300,000 individuals may die each year as a result of pharmaceutical and medical errors. [1] Of this stunning and alarming number, a growing proportion is from non-prescription substances.  According to a 2001 report in the Journal of American Pharmaceutical Association, more than $177 billion in excess costs in the health care supply chain can be attributed to medication errors.  Sadly, estimates indicate that more than eighty percent of life-threatening medication incidents are the result of physician error. [2]   Clearly, this is not an area or an environment in which any practitioner can make a safe and effective contribution with less than a gold standard set of qualifications and credentials.   SB 1843 provides for no additional education and testing as a basis for the expansion of chiropractic scope to include pharmaceuticals.  On this basis and out of other concerns, ICA urges that this bill be defeated.    If you have any questions or would like more information please contact the International Chiropractors Association at 1-800-423-4690 or by e-mail at chiro@chiroprctic.org.
[1] Starfield B. Is US health really the best in the world? Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 2000 Jul 26;284(4):483-5. Starfield B. Deficiencies in US medical care. JAMA. 2000 Nov 1;284(17):2184-5.. [2] Gurwitz, J.H., Field, T.S., Harrold, L.S., et al, “Incidence and preventability of adverse drug events among elderly persons in the ambulatory setting, (JAMA) 2003;289(9) 1107-1116.

May 23, 2011

This past Friday I sent the above ALERT email across the United States in regards to an Illinois Senate Bill 1843 that slipped through the Senate and into the House of Representative for vote. We are asking for chiropractic support to contact all Illinois Representative to either Vote NO for SB 1843 the way it presently stands or vote YES after accepting the amendment to remove language that is confusing and unnecessary.

Illinois House of Representatives are being asked to strike the words "...from providing advice regarding the use of non-prescription products or..."
SB 1843 language creates confusion in that "non-prescription products" is not defined at all.  If the intent is to authorize the Chiropractic provider to provide advice on non-prescription drugs, then extensive additional education and competence testing is absolutely essential, if such authority is desirable at all.  No such educational provisions are included in the bill and this concept has not been thoroughly and forthrightly discussed and debated throughout the legislative process.

If the intent is to authorize advice on such items as braces, pillows, orthotics and related supports, nutritional products and other commonly applied devices, items and products, then the language is unnecessary since such materials and devices have been covered and authorized to be provided by doctors of Chiropractic under the current statutory language for many decades.
Consumers in Illinois are entitled to complete clarity on the professional authorities and qualifications of all health care professionals and without this amendment, SB 1843 represents a step away from this vital goal. 

Ask the Illinois Representative to please support this proposed amendment to SB 1843.

To contact any and all Illinois State representative go to: www.ilga.gov