Memorandum to: ACA Members, Board of Governors, House of Delegates and Other Interested Parties 
From: Gary Cuneo 
Re: ACA EVP Weekly Report 
Date: July 16, 2002

In this week's report:

1. ANOTHER BUSY WEEK IN THE TRIGON LAWSUIT

2. COLLEGE PRESIDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE LAWSUITS 

3. SENATE TAKES UP MEDICARE BILL 

4. ACF/AUXILIARY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SACA MEMBERS 

5. SEMINARS ON HIPAA, BACKPACKS AND CODING, PLUS A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST DEREK PARRA -- AT ACA'S ANNUAL MEETING

6. OCTOBER IS SPINAL HEALTH MONTH: EDUCATE YOUR COMMUNITY ON THE PROPER USE OF BACKPACKS 

7. ACA: THE FIRST SOURCE FOR THE MEDIA ON CHIROPRACTIC 

8. LEADERSHIP SPREADS THE WORD ABOUT THE LAWSUITS 

9. PROMOTE YOUR CLINIC WITH NEW DEREK PARRA TV AD SPOTS AND PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (ACA MEMBERS ONLY) 

10. CAN'T ACCESS THESE LINKS? 

1. ANOTHER BUSY WEEK IN THE TRIGON LAWSUIT 

Last week's depositions in the Trigon case included those of the Virginia Physical Therapy Association (VPTA) and the current medical director of Trigon. On Friday, the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) was required by court order to submit documentation regarding chiropractic. An MSV representative will be deposed in the future. By court order, the former medical director of Trigon will be deposed a second time next Wednesday. 

2. COLLEGE PRESIDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE LAWSUITS 

A successful conclusion to the lawsuits against HHS and Trigon would have a positive effect on chiropractic colleges. The Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC), comprised of all the U.S. chiropractic colleges, has been a strong supporter of the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund (NCLAF), providing over $100,000 in contributions. Many individual chiropractic colleges have given contributions as well -- the most prominent from the Cleveland Colleges of California and Kansas City, which have given $41,200. Now many college presidents have agreed to communicate to their alumni the importance of supporting the legal action. This is very significant when you consider that each of them has fundraising obligations of their own. Thanks to the following presidents who have agreed to send letters:

3. SENATE TAKES UP MEDICARE BILL 

The talk in the Senate is that this week the U.S. Senate Finance Committee will be taking up its version of the Medicare Drug Reform Act. This action provides us with another opportunity to include a chiropractic provision that patterns that of the Watkins Bill. While we weren't successful in getting a provision into the House version, we have received assurance from Congressman 
Billy Tauzin, and now written assurance from Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, that they would push for a provision if all of this gets to conference committee. It is now more important than ever that we get the Senate to push for inclusion of the provision. You should have received an alert by this time from our Government Relations staff instructing you to ask your senator to contact Senator Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee, and urge him to include a chiropractic provision. The ACA staff is meeting with members of the committee, but again it's the grassroots pressure that really gets their attention. We would suggest that you not rely on the mail service to show your support since the Anthrax scare has created a substantial delay in getting mail to the Senate office. Instead, an email or a phone call would be your best bet. If you are unaware of your senator's address or phone number, this link will provide that information: <http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm>

4. ACF/AUXILIARY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SACA MEMBERS 

Student ACA (SACA) applications for this year's American Chiropractic Foundation/ACAuxiliary Scholarship Program are due July 19th. SACA membership, a minimum GPA of 3.0, and full-time student status are required. The student must also be in at least his or her second year of chiropractic college. Typically the ACF will grant ten to twelve $1,000 scholarships, while the ACAuxiliary will award two $2,500 scholarships, to be used toward tuition, books, or other school supplies. The deadline for 2002 scholarship applications is July 12th. Awards will be announced at the ACA Annual Business Meeting on August 31st. For additional information and application forms, visit the ACA Web site at <http://www.acatoday.com/about/saca/scholarship.shtml>.

5. SEMINARS ON HIPAA, BACKPACKS AND CODING, PLUS A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST DEREK PARRA -- AT ACA'S ANNUAL MEETING

The 2002 ACA House of Delegates Meeting will be held at the Fairmont Kansas City Hotel in Kansas City, MO, from August 29-31. In addition to the regular meetings of the House of Delegates and councils, there will be numerous seminars open to the chiropractic community. Please call the hotel at 800-441-1414 or 816-756-1500 to make your room reservations. When calling the Fairmont to reserve your room, please mention that you are with the American Chiropractic Association to get the special discounted room rate of $154.00 per evening for a single or double room. The Fairmont Hotel is located at 401 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64112. 

Please note the room reservation cutoff date is July 24, 2002. After that date, the hotel will not guarantee room availability or the special group rate.

6. OCTOBER IS SPINAL HEALTH MONTH: EDUCATE YOUR COMMUNITY ON THE PROPER USE OF BACKPACKS 

This October, during Spinal Health Month, educate your community about the potential dangers of overweight backpacks using the backpack safety kit that was inserted into the July-August "Members Only" issue of ACA Today. As children return to school this fall, the topic of backpacks is extremely important and timely. You can also access the kit in the "Hot Topics" section of ACA's Web site by entering your member password. 

The kit ties in nicely with a new backpack safety program recently launched by ACA that you can present to your local school systems and community groups. In conjunction with Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of ACA's Council on Occupational Health, as well as the ACA-endorsed Samsonite Chiropak backpack, the ACA will begin offering materials and backpack safety training to ACA members only. Dr. Bautch will also be presenting a seminar on the backpack safety program during ACA's House of Delegates meeting in Kansas City, August 31st. If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more, please email Teri Howell, ACA product marketing manager, at thowell@amerchiro.org.

7. ACA: THE FIRST SOURCE FOR THE MEDIA ON CHIROPRACTIC 

Dr. Scott Bautch, immediate past president of ACA's Council on Occupational Health, was recently interviewed by Smart Money magazine on the issue of backpack safety. This interview was followed by a request from USA Today, who wants to interview him on a similar topic. The following week, Men's Fitness magazine contacted ACA's media relations staff for information on chiropractic to include in an upcoming issue of the magazine. 

8. LEADERSHIP SPREADS THE WORD ABOUT THE LAWSUITS 

ACA President Daryl D. Wills, DC, was given an opportunity to speak at National University of Health Sciences' homecoming. The week before, Dr. Wills addressed the doctors at the South Carolina Chiropractic Association annual meeting. This week, Dr. Wills is slated to speak before the Diagnosis of Internal Disorders Council (formerly the Council on Family Practice) meeting in New Orleans, LA. In addition, ACA Chairman James D. Edwards, DC, spoke before the Texas Chiropractic Association and its Board of Directors, while ACA Immediate Past Chairman J. Michael Flynn, DC, is scheduled to address the Mississippi Chiropractic Association.

ACA Governor Jerilynn Kaibel, DC, was successful in getting a motion passed by the Past President of the California Chiropractic Association (CCA) in support of both lawsuits. 

9. PROMOTE YOUR CLINIC WITH NEW DEREK PARRA TV AD SPOTS AND PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (ACA MEMBERS ONLY) 

Olympic speed skater Derek Parra, who won both a gold and silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, touts the benefits of chiropractic in a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) and television ad spot, now available to ACA members only. With Parra's recent appointment to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the spots are even more timely. 

For details on this exciting opportunity, visit ACA's Web site here: http://www.acatoday.com/hot_topics/070102.shtml

11. CAN'T ACCESS THESE LINKS?