Memorandum to: ACA Members, Board of Governors, House of
Delegates and Other Interested Parties
From: Gary Cuneo
Re: ACA EVP Weekly Report
Date: December 9, 2002
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ACA MISSION STATEMENT:
"The ACA is a professional organization representing doctors of chiropractic. Its mission is to preserve, protect, improve and promote the chiropractic profession and the services of doctors of chiropractic for the benefit of patients they serve. The purpose of the ACA is to provide leadership in health care and a positive vision for the chiropractic profession and its natural approach to health and wellness. On behalf of the chiropractic profession, we accomplish our mission and purpose by affecting public policy and legislation, by promoting high standards in professional ethics and quality of treatment, and by carrying out a dynamic strategic plan to help ensure the professional growth and success of doctors of chiropractic."
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This week's report includes the following items:
1. NAII Considers Partnership with ACA
2. November Was a Great Month for NCLAF
3. Wal-Mart Meeting Scheduled
4. Singer Supports Lawsuits
5. Landrieu Wins in Louisiana: Another ACA Victory
6. Doctor Loren Miller Heeds the Call for Membership
7. PBS to Air Special on Dr. Frederick Carrick
8. Senator Harkin Comments on ACA's Involvement in His Campaign
9. The BOG to Hold Its Mid-Winter Meeting in Conjunction with the 2003 Parker Las Vegas Seminar: Celebration for Chiropractic
10.. Can't Access These Links?
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1. NAII CONSIDERS PARTNERSHIP WITH ACA
At the invitation of the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII) Medical Issues Committee, Pat Jackson, ACA vice president of professional development and research, met the group at its offices in Des Plaines, IL, to discuss the possibility of holding a joint meeting between ACA and NAII.
NAII is the largest trade association for property and casualty insurers in the country. The group is interested in bringing to light the work of the ACA Claims Solutions Work Group and finding ways for insurers and DCs to relay its policies--developed in conjunction with participating insurance groups--on the state level. The topic of HIPAA will also be added to the agenda, as many insurers are struggling with HIPAA privacy issues and need feedback from providers on how this law may impact the request and release of clinical documentation.
The plan is to hold the ACA/NAII meeting during the ACA's National Chiropractic Legislative Conference (NCLC) in March 2003.
It is remarkable to see the improved relationships that have developed between the ACA and some insurance organizations in recent years, thanks to the efforts of the ACA leadership and PDR staff. I remember it was not too long ago that the idea of ACA partnering with an insurance organization would have been totally out of the question.
2. NOVEMBER WAS A GREAT MONTH FOR NCLAF
Contributions to the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund (NCLAF) for the month of November 2002 totaled $231,083--the highest monthly amount since July 2001. This includes contributions from 1,007 members and 231 non-members. In October 2002, we raised $172,000, which had been the highest monthly amount in the past six months. While these were great months for contributions, we need to maintain our professions financial support and raise the number of monthly contributors. As of this date there are 572 doctors on NCLAF EZ Pay. The membership breakdown is as follows: 348 members,107 former members, and 117 have never been members.
3. WAL-MART MEETING SCHEDULED
By the time you read this report, the ACA Executive Committee and Pat
Jackson, VP of professional development and research, may have completed their Dec. 12 meeting with officials from Wal-Mart at the giant retailer's offices in Rogers, AR. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Wal-Mart's decision to eliminate the chiropractic benefit from employee health plans. The meeting represents a starting point as the ACA attempts to forge an understanding with Wal-Mart regarding the importance of chiropractic care to the 1 million employees affected by the company's health care policies.
4. SINGER SUPPORTS LAWSUITS
A practice management consultant who has been an early and active supporter of our lawsuits is David Singer of David Singer Enterprises. His company has given $2,500 to the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund and has offered ACA representatives opportunities to present updates on the lawsuits during his programs.
We had one such opportunity on Nov. 9-10 at the DSE's Master Club in Tampa, FL. Dr Howard Fidler, ACA delegate from Minnesota, spoke on behalf of the NCLAF. He was successful in getting 17 doctors to sign pledges of $100 per month for the duration of the suits. This represents $20,400 per year on an annual basis.
5. LANDRIEU WINS IN LOUISIANA: ANOTHER ACA VICTORY
Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (D) on Dec. 7 won re-election in a run-off against Republican candidate Suzanne Terrell in what was one of the most hotly contested races of the November elections. Both parties had pulled out all the stops. President Bush and members of his cabinet even visited the state on behalf of Terrell.
ACA supported Senator Landrieu with a $2,500 contribution in the primary and another $5,000 contribution two weeks ago. The Chiropractic Association of Louisiana was also a strong supporter of the senator. We are naturally pleased with this development as it continues to increase the support of the chiropractic profession in the Senate.
6. DOCTOR LOREN MILLER HEEDS THE CALL FOR MEMBERSHIP
Doctor Loren Miller of Spokane, WA, sent a great e-mail testimonial to eight or nine doctors urging them to become members of the ACA. She stated in part, "I rejoined the ACA this past year after leaving it for a couple of years. Since my return, I have found an association that I am very proud of. ... There are people there working very hard for you and I. ..."
I could not have written a better testimonial. And frankly, if I had, it would not have carried the credibility of this one, coming from a local doctor. We can make all the statements in the world, but they will fall on deaf ears if the doctor members in the field don't echo these sentiments. Please help grow this association by contacting your non-member colleagues and urging them to join us. ACA will follow-up with them. To find further information on ACA's accomplishments that you can communicate to potential members, go to
www.acatoday.com/membership/done_lately.shtml.
7. PBS TO AIR SPECIAL ON DR. FREDERICK CARRICK
Not all PBS programs are anti-chiropractic. A PBS special about the work of Frederick Carrick, DC, PhD, who is president of the ACA Council on Neurology, will be broadcast on December 12 at 8:30 pm on PBS stations throughout the country.
The special, entitled "Waking up the Brain, Amazing Adjustments," is also cross-linked by PBS as "Conscious Chiropractic."
8. SENATOR HARKIN COMMENTS ON ACA'S INVOLVEMENT IN HIS CAMPAIGN
After his re-election, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin stated that, "While I enjoyed
support for my re-election from a broad range of organizations and individuals from around Iowa and the country, the support and counsel of the American Chiropractic Association and its members throughout Iowa were especially critical to my re-election victory. I look forward to building on our strong friendship and working together to ensure fairness and equal treatment for doctors of chiropractic throughout the country."
9. THE BOG TO HOLD ITS MID-WINTER MEETING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 2003 PARKER LAS VEGAS SEMINAR: CELEBRATION FOR CHIROPRACTIC
The ACA House of Delegates passed a motion a few years ago requiring that all Board of Governors meetings be held at the ACA offices in Arlington, VA. It's not the most glamorous place to hold a meeting, but from a budgetary and practical standpoint-and with staff resources the most readily available-it's the right thing to do. I don't think too many organizations consider these factors when planning their meetings. However, the HOD allowed an exception to the rule when it permitted the ACA Board to hold its mid-winter meeting in conjunction with the Parker Seminar Jan. 30-Feb. 2 in Las Vegas.
Once again Parker College President Dr. Fabrizio Mancini and the Parker people are providing the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund (NCLAF) Committee with numerous opportunities to promote our lawsuit and raise funds. Dr. Mancini set the goal earlier this year to raise $1 million for the lawsuit fund. So far, approximately $300,000 has been raised from the various Parker Seminars held throughout the year. ACA will be out in force at the Las Vegas program, assisting Dr. Mancini in raising the balance of the funds. Any help you can provide at the program will be greatly appreciated.
The Parker program has negotiated a special room rate of just $95 per night. To make hotel reservations, call the Las Vegas Hilton at 888/732-7117 or go to
www.lv-hilton.com. Room reservations are going fast.
The program promises to be a real happening for chiropractic. A sampling of
the many presenters includes Dr. Andrew Weil, Paul Zane Pilzer, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. The speaker schedule is now available online: go to
http://www.parkerseminars.com/seminar/lasvegas2003.pdf.
10.. CAN'T ACCESS THESE LINKS?
Some of you have been unable to download my PDF links. To view these file types, you need Adobe's Acrobat Reader. This is a free utility available at
http://www.adobe.com/. If you need further assistance viewing anything referred to in this report, please e-mail me at
gcuneo@amerchiro.org.
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