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Orange County Chiropractic District
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Memorandum To: ACA Members, House of Delegates, Board of
Governors, and Other Interested Parties The following items are covered in this week's report: 1. NEW ONLINE DISCUSSION GROUP FOR ACA MEMBERS: GIVE
IT A CHANCE
After a somewhat rocky start, the brand new online discussion group designed specifically for ACA DC members is gaining support. Recent discussion topics have ranged from national unity, case review systems, portal of entry status for physical therapists, the public's perception of chiropractic, HIPAA, marketing to other health care providers, and much more. Some doctors, however, have not been pleased with the large volume of emails the discussion group initially generated. While this volume should soon begin to decrease, if it is more than you wish to receive or if you do not care to participate at all, here are some tips:
Should you need any help with any of these options, or have additional questions or comments regarding this new member benefit, please contact Dean Millard, Database and Systems Administrator, at dmillard@amerchiro.org. 2. WAL-MART MEETING: SIMPLE INJUSTICE Last week, ACA President Dr. Daryl Wills, ACA Governor (District 3) Dr. George McClelland and ACA Vice President of Professional Development and Research Patricia Jackson, traveled to the headquarters of Wal-Mart, Inc., in Rogers, Arkansas, for a second meeting with senior Wal-Mart claims management representatives. We were sincerely hopeful that this meeting would bring about a reversal in Wal-Mart's policy and that the retail giant would be convinced to reinstate the chiropractic benefit that it deleted from its core employee benefit plan last year. Our previous meeting with Wal-Mart went quite well. They promised us back then that they would take another look at their decision at annual review time, which was scheduled to take place this month. In the interim, they had asked us to provide them with chiropractic cost-effectiveness studies. So we put together a comprehensive package showing the cost-effectiveness of chiropractic care and sent it to the company in advance so they would have an opportunity to review it before our follow-up meeting. We also retained the services of a health economist to further bolster our position. Almost from the beginning of the meeting, however, it was unfortunately clear that Wal-Mart was not interested in the facts. While they acknowledged the significance of our studies, they didn't believe that chiropractic care was essential to their employees. They argued that in an era of increasing health care costs, their focus was placed squarely on "catastrophic-type" health care. So the bottom line is that since they didn't see chiropractic as essential, they didn't intend to reinstate the benefit into their PPO plan. Chiropractic care will continue to be included, however, in their workers' compensation plan. ACA, and more specifically ACA's Office of Professional Development and Research, has attempted over the last few years to open dialogue with the insurance industry as a way of resolving the discrimination that exists against our profession. While we would always prefer dialogue before confrontation, the confrontation card can be played and we may want to consider such action in this case. 3. HOUSE, SENATE TO WORK ON MEDICARE REFORM AFTER BREAK When Congress' spring recess ends on April 28, Republican House leaders will begin work on Medicare reform legislation in an attempt to pass a bill before Memorial Day, according to CongressDaily. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) said updating the program would be one of the chamber's top priorities, and he has named an "action team" to help push a Medicare reform bill. A spokesperson for the House Ways and Means Committee, through which any health care legislation would pass, said that the committee had not made a decision on when to mark up any Medicare legislation, but added, "We mark things up in committee one week and usually have them on the floor the next. We turn things around pretty quickly." (Wegner/Ghent, CongressDaily, 4/17) Although Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has been holding weekly meetings on Medicare reform, the Senate does not intend to take up a Medicare prescription drug benefit until June, CongressDaily reports. ACA has been working with both Senate and House leadership to assure a chiropractic provision. 4. UPDATE ON STUDENT LOAN PROGRAM; CALL FOR INFORMATION ON COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER Attention all doctors of chiropractic who maintain a working relationship with a recognized community health center in a medically underserved urban or rural area: Please contact Dennis Smith of ACA's Government Relations Department immediately at dsmith@amerchiro.org. Your help is urgently needed to help the profession overcome a slow-moving federal bureaucracy and ensure the initial success of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) chiropractic demonstration project. Health and Human Services (HHS) bureaucrats didn't work quickly after passage last year of legislation to allow DCs to participate in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) student loan re-imbursement program. Only after meetings with ACA's Government Relations team and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) on February 25 and April 1, and the passage in February of $3 million of targeted funding in the Fiscal Year 2003 supplemental appropriations bill, did the they get the message. Since then, the Bureau of Health Professions (BHP) has moved forward on formal guidelines and a Federal Register announcement of participation by DCs in the NHSC loan program this year. It is due to be published within days. ACA Government Relations staff has determined that there is sufficient funding for as many as 36 student loan repayment awards to chiropractors in each of the next 3 years ($25,000 per year per award). BHP requirements will NOT allow a "private practice option" in which a chiropractor establishes his/her own practice in an underserved area and applies to the NHSC program. Rather, applicants must have an employment agreement with a community health center and then apply to the student loan repayment program. There are about 800 community health centers serving designated Health Professional Shortage Areas in rural and urban settings across the country that are deemed eligible to participate in the demonstration project. It is unclear, however, which of these centers would be interested in offering chiropractic care. That's why we need to hear from DCs who may already be providing chiropractic care in these facilities. Also, to further identify the best targets, ACA's Government Relations team and the ACC have been involved in discussions with HHS officials with oversight over community health centers and the National Association of Community Health Centers. Our goal is to link as many interested DCs with as many interested facilities as possible in the next few weeks. There isn't much time. Again, the deadline is June 16, 2003. Should the compressed calendar result in fewer DCs participating in the demonstration project in the first year, ACA intends to work with the profession's friends on Capitol Hill to ensure that an appropriate extension is granted beyond the three years already authorized. In fact, on April 9th, ACA Government Relations met with the staff of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), a key supporter of the chiropractic participation in the NHSC, to discuss the status of implementation and the possible need for an extension. For more information, please contact Dennis Smith at dsmith@amerchiro.org or view the National Health Service Corps website: http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/. 5. PDR SCORES ANOTHER ONE In a great research relations victory, the ACA and the British Medical Journal (BMJ) have worked together to remove an apparent bias in the BMJ text, "Clinical Evidence." A letter to the editors of the text was recently sent regarding their presentation of information and research on spinal manipulation. The "Clinical Evidence" text has a great impact, as it is a research resource for claims adjusters. Our letter to the editors pointed out the editorializing in the text that obscured the statistical research that was presented. In response, the BMJ editors stated that they would delete the needless commentary and allow the data regarding spinal manipulation to stand on its own. The editors of the British Medical Journal text also warmly opened the doors for further contact with the ACA and welcomed further chiropractic research sources. 6. ACA FINANCE COMMITTEE PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET: YOUR INPUT IS REQUESTED The ACA Finance Committee is meeting in May to prepare ACA's annual budget for Fiscal Year 2003-04. Once completed, the budget will be submitted for approval to ACA's Board of Governors and finally to ACA's House of Delegates. Each ACA department in submitting its proposed budgets will have to demonstrate how their projects coincide with the priorities of the Long Ranger Plan of the association. Yes, we have a long range plan, and yes it is followed. To make sure it is followed, the HOD added the Chairman of the Long Ranger Planning Committee, Dr. Rick McMichael, to the ACA Finance Committee. Anyone who has worked with Rick in the past can easily recognize the significance of this decision. You have a chance to impact the budget process as well by simply responding to the questions below. Your responses WILL be provided to the budget committee along with the results of the other surveys that have been included in this report. Hopefully your reviewing this weekly report regularly will provide some guidance to you in answering these questions:
An executive summary of the Long Range Plan can be found here: http://www.acatoday.com/about/executive_summary.shtml 7. OHIO WELCOMES GEORGE McANDREWS Last weekend, the North Central District of the Ohio State Chiropractic Association sponsored a continuing education seminar in Canton, OH. The proceeds for the seminar would be divided up between the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund (NCLAF) and the state association itself. ACA attorney George McAndrews was the featured speaker. Over 170 doctors attended. Drs. Daryl Wills and Rick McMichael joined Mr. McAndrews, and they showed the Dr. Carl Cleveland-narrated video "Simple Justice" on two 30-foot square screens. In addition to receiving a portion of the seminar's registration totals, NCLAF also received 7 pledges for $100 per month, one pledge increasing from $100 a month to $200 a month, and a number of doctors became new ACA members. To date, the NCLAF has received $139,824.91 from individual doctors in Ohio, $43,405.00 from the Ohio State Chiropractic Association and $52,300.00 from Ohio's regional associations, for a grand total of $235,529.91. Thank you, Ohio! 8. ACA AT THE NEW MEXICO CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION BUSINESS MEETING Last weekend, Dr. James Mertz, Immediate Past President of the ACA, and Dr. Bill Doggett, ACA delegate to New Mexico, were given an opportunity to present the aforementioned "Simple Justice" tape and to discuss the chiropractic legal action during the recent business meeting of the New Mexico Chiropractic Association. Drs. Mertz and Doggett succeeded in raising $7,100 in pledges and contributions. To date, the NCLAF has received $23,930.00 from individual doctors in New Mexico and $2,000.00 from the New Mexico Chiropractic Association, for a grand total of $25,930.00. Thank you, New Mexico! 9. NORTHEASTERN CHIROPRACTIC COUNCIL MEETING Over the weekend of April 12th, Dr. Robert Mastronardi, ACA delegate to Rhode Island, traveled to Quincy, MA, to attend the meeting of the Northeastern Chiropractic Council. The council includes representatives from the chiropractic associations in the New England area. Also in attendance was the President of University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic and Dr. Tony Ronser of FCER. Dr. Mastronardi was given an opportunity to show the "Simple Justice" tape and respond to questions regarding the legal action. Each member of the council was given a copy of the same tape to share with others. 10. HIPAA PRIVACY: A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM April 14th, the deadline to for privacy compliance, has come and gone. Currently, enforcement will be complaint-driven, so procrastinators still have time to make their offices HIPAA compliant. ACA offers tools that "demystify" HIPAA and guide you through the compliance process. Check out our educational audiocassette kit of ACA teleconferences and the HIPAA Made Easy for Chiropractic Practices Kit at http://shopaca.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AS&Category_Code=HIPAA 11. 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 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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