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Orange County Chiropractic District
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Memorandum The following items are covered in this week's report:
1. NCMIC CARRIES A BIG STICK At ACA's National Chiropractic Legislative Conference earlier this month, Dr. Jerome McAndrews presented a check for the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund in the amount of $210,000 on behalf of NCMIC. This brings NCMIC's total contributions since 1998 to $410,000 -- far and away the legal action fund's largest contributor. In fact, I believe NCMIC is the only malpractice company that has contributed to the lawsuits. 2. MORE FROM THE LAST CLAIMS SOLUTIONS WORKGROUP I reported last week about the great meeting ACA had with over 14 senior-level insurance company representatives. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss recommendations from a subcommittee of doctors and insurance representatives who put together educational pieces on chiropractic for claims adjusters. While these discussions were significant, what I found particularly interesting were preliminary comments by Mr. Rick Wisniewski, Vice President of Medical Management of ERIE Insurance Company who, along with many other carriers, had attended the four previous workgroups. He reflected on his first meeting with ACA back in 1999 and the obvious tension by both the doctors and carriers present. He was worried that this would be another failed meeting, similar to the meetings that he has participated in in the past with this profession and with other health care providers. Instead, he indicated that what he found was an honest dialogue. Not always agreement, but at least an attempt to reach consensus. I think our side feels the same way. While there is no doubt that disagreements continue on both sides, there has been significant agreement on a number of issues that we can point to. Confrontation and lawsuits continue to be options, but at least by these discussions we have a good opportunity for dialogue. 3. STUDENT INTERNS IN DOD PROJECTS One of the best-kept secrets in the DOD program is the involvement of chiropractic interns. During the DOD briefing at NCLC conducted by Drs. Terence Kearney and Bill Morgan -- the doctors who work at the Bethesda Naval Hospital -- presented a report on the history of the interns' involvement and their current participation. Currently, there are two student interns from New York Chiropractic College that are doing rounds at the hospital. A similar program is being planned at Camp LeJeune, and LACC is doing one with Camp Pendleton. Medical physicians on base have commented on the high level of professionalism and qualifications of the interns. 4. PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ON THE HUNT We have been hearing from a number of states that state physical therapy associations have been introducing legislation on direct access, and in some instances seeking the right to perform spinal manipulation. Nationally, they have introduced legislation in the House and Senate that would give them authority to treat Medicare patients without a physician referral if state law gives them that authority. While HR 792 does not explicitly include physical therapists under the definition of physician, it does establish a new category called "Qualified Physical Therapist." Our Government Relations department has established a "Manipulation Monitoring Squad" to track physical therapy efforts in various states and to share the information with our state associations. If your state is under attack, please contact Dennis Smith at dsmith@amerchiro.org. We have put together a kit to deal with the threat that we would be happy to share with your state association. It includes a recently revised spinal manipulation policy statement that does an excellent job in setting forth our prominence in the area of manipulation/adjustment, including educational qualifications. 5. FTC SCHEDULES HEARINGS ON MANAGED CARE ABUSES As an indication that the government is taking a greater interest in the abuses of managed care, the Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission have scheduled a series of hearings to hear complaints regarding managed care and its abuses. Following the hearings, a comprehensive joint report will be published. Quoting specifically from the notice, "These Health Care and Competition Law and Policy hearings mark the beginning of an extended examination of the state of the health care marketplace and the roles of competition, antitrust, enforcement, and consumer protection in satisfying consumer preferences for high-quality, cost-effective health care." This is only the second set of hearings ever hosted by the Antitrust Division. At the direction of the ACA Board of Governors and in conjunction with our overall managed care abuse review program initiated by the House of Delegates, we intend to participate in these important hearings. We shall share evidence of the unbalanced nature of the health care market place in which managed care plans dictate terms and conditions with little recourse for the doctor to collectively bargain or negotiate. We invite the states to join us in this effort by encouraging their members to participate in our managed care abuse surveys currently under way. 6. ARNOLD CIANCIULLI, DC, PASSES I am sorry to report the passing of Arnold Cianciulli, DC. Dr. Cianciulli served as a member of the ACA Board of Governors and was twice awarded the ACA Doctor of the Year. At the time of his passing, he was a member of NCMIC's Board of Directors and the Board of the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research. Dr. Cianciulli's family requests any remembrances be sent to FCER, P.O. Box 400, Norwalk, Iowa 50211. 7. NCLC SPEAKERS BROAD-BASED AND INFLUENTIAL Reflecting our interest in a quick and comprehensive implementation of the chiropractic benefit in the Veterans Administration, the speakers at NCLC included: Senator Arlen Specter, chairman of Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Secretary Anthony Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Congressman Bob Filner, ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Other NCLC speakers included: Senator Tom Harkin, who is responsible for so many of our victories; Congressman Chris Chocola of the Small Business Committee; Senator Norm Coleman, newly elected senator from Minnesota; Congressman James Ramstad of the House Ways and Means Committee; Congressman Bill Janklow; James White, Legislative Assistant to Congressman Billy Tauzin; Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services. 8. NEXT ACA EVP ADVISORY COMMITTEE CALL SCHEDULED If you are an executive director or state association volunteer leader, you might want to mark your calendar for March 20 at 1:00 pm Eastern for the monthly conference call with ACA's vice presidents and legal counsel. It's a good opportunity to share information on the critical issues facing this profession. Look to your email for the upcoming agenda and call-in numbers. 9. CHIROPRACTIC GETS HIGHEST RATING AT FORT BENNING Dr. Thomas McKinney is a chiropractic doctor who practices at the Martin Army Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was reported that at a recent awards ceremony at the base, he was honored as having the best patient satisfaction rating at the hospital. Coming in third was a chiropractic doctor. Even the Army is going to have to set aside its biases for the benefit of the patients. 10. BLUE CCHIP MEETING A SUCCESS The second annual Blue CCHIP meeting, "Working from the Inside Out," was held at NCLC on Friday, March 7, 2003. The six-hour meeting offered an opportunity for Blue CCHIP liaisons, delegates and state associations to come together with ACA leadership and advisors and openly discuss the successes and roadblocks they have encountered. With more than 40 states represented, the discussion session had to be cut short in order for the delegates to make it to the HOD session on time. A combination workshop was presented to both the Blue CCHIP meeting attendees and CCAC representatives offering perspective about the operational philosophy of the insurance industry and giving suggestions for more effective relations. In addition, Blue CCHIP attendees were brought up-to-date on materials being developed by ACA committees that will aid the liaisons in their work with their Blues carriers. Other presenters included Blue CCHIP representatives who have had marked successes despite encountering tremendous roadblocks. Overall, the meeting provided a great deal of valuable information to both liaisons and ACA staff who support the program. 11. ACA PUMPS UP CHIROPRACTIC IN THE MEDIA What do movie star Nicole Kidman, TV stars Courtney Cox and Calista Flockhart, and ACA national spokesperson Jerome McAndrews, DC, have in common? They are all featured in a new article about "celebrity slouchers" in the May 17, 2003 issue of First for Women magazine. Dr. McAndrews provides readers with helpful posture tips. First for Women is a hugely popular magazine with a circulation of over 1.5 million readers. Articles featuring ACA spokespersons in major publications are not only entertaining and fun, they help to place doctors of chiropractic as health and wellness experts in the eyes of the public. Interview opportunities such as these are made possible in part by the helpful health tips and information ACA supplies to the mass media, whether on backpack safety, snow shoveling, posture, or other important issues. As I mentioned in my February 3 report, keep an eye out for the June 2003 issue of Prevention magazine. Prevention, with a whopping circulation of over 3 million readers, will be running an article featuring the chiropractic success story of a patient of ACA member Allen Unruh, DC. This patient was given her life back thanks to chiropractic care, and the world will soon read about it. The article will also provide ACA's toll-free number, which readers can call to locate ACA members - like you - in their community. 12. SURVEY RESULTS A couple of weeks ago, I posed the question, "What is the single most important ACA event, activity or program that supports your positive opinion about the ACA? I only received twelve responses, which means one of the following: (1) Only twelve people read this report. I know that isn't true because my children and wife are forced to read it, and they didn't respond. (2) ACA doesn't do anything of significance. I know that isn't true, because if it were we wouldn't have any members. The days when people joined an organization because it was "the right thing to do" are passing quickly. (3) Since everything we do is positive it's difficult to pinpoint one particular activity. In any case, here are the responses I received:
Sharpen your pencils because next week I am going to give you a chance to influence our budget process for next year. Watch for it. 13. DALLAS PARKER SEMINAR TO FEATURE DEEPAK CHOPRA, M.D. The next Parker Seminar is scheduled for April 10-13 at Hotel InterContinental in Dallas, Texas. Register online at http://www.ParkerSeminars.com, or call 1-888-727-5338. The keynote address will be delivered by Deepak Chopra on Friday, April 11th. Don't miss it! ACA will be there to promote the lawsuits. 14. CAN'T ACCESS THESE LINKS? |
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