DC and Patient Action Needed on National Medicare Bill

Chiropractic Physicians & Patients Take Action to Contact Congress 

Bipartisan legislation to allow patients to have life-changing access to Medicare coverage of chiropractic services is gaining support in the U.S. Congress.  H.R. 1610 / S. 799 would enable Medicare patients to access the wide array of services chiropractors provide under their state’s chiropractic scope of practice. Chiropractic physicians and their patients can join in the nationwide effort and move these bills forward by contacting their U.S. Representatives and Senators for their co-sponsorship and support.

URGE PATIENTS AND STAFF TO GET INVOLVED

Here are 3 ways you can help your patients and team contact their elected officials:

• Inform them of the bills and ask patients if they will help by contacting their members of Congress. You can provide a flyer for reference with links to use at home. (see below).
• Create a computer or tablet station in your reception area where your team and patients can use the quick online forms to send their message.  Bookmark these Patient Action webpages:

Patient Link to Contact their U.S. Congressperson

Patient Link to Contact their U.S. Senator

• Share the infographic and link on your social media pages and on your website. (see below)

CAMPAIGN MATERIALS FOR YOUR PRACTICE

An informational flyer and social media graphics are available to download and print to use in chiropractic practices.  You can download these materials by clicking on the images below:

ACTION STEPS FOR CHIROPRACTIC PHYSICIANS

There is a separate online form for chiropractic physicians to use written from the DC’s perspective.  You can send a message to your Congressperson and Senator with just a few clicks.

1. Click HERE to quickly contact your Congressperson (under 2 minutes total),
2. Put in your name and address,
3. Click the “Review Your Message” button,
4. Click the “Send Message” button after reviewing the pre-written message, and
5. Repeat the steps above after clicking HERE to quickly contact your Senators.

WHY SHOULD YOU ASK CONGRESS TO SUPPORT THESE BILLS?

Currently, Medicare will only reimburse chiropractic physicians for one service — spinal manipulation – provided to Medicare patients. However, doctors are professionally bound to provide additional services to accurately diagnose a patient, resulting in undue financial hardship for patients who may not be able to pay out of pocket for all of the required services. Importantly, Medicare already pays other health care providers for these services, but Medicare requires patients to pay for these same services when provided by chiropractic physicians. Therefore, the patient’s ability to choose their provider is limited.

Are You in Contact With Your U.S. Representative or Senator? 

The TCA joins with our national counterparts in engaging Medicare patients to help in contacting U.S. legislators in support of Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act (H.R. 1610 and S. 799).  A continuation of efforts over the past 3 years, advocates have been working to secure co-sponsors for this bipartisan legislation.  If you have a relationship with your U.S. Representative or Senator, your help is greatly needed to make a personal connection regarding this legislation and to ask for their co-sponsorship.

Please contact the TCA at tca@tnchiro.com to notify us of your legislative connection, so that we can help support you and coordinate with others across the state in this effort!