Fw: ACA news bulletin re: WCA

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ACA news bulletin re: WCA

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 9 , 2000

FRINGE GROUP AIDS MEDICAL LOBBY’S

ANTI-CHIROPRACTIC CAMPAIGN

WCA ACTIONS AGAIN THREATEN PROGRESS ON CAPITOL HILL

ARLINGTON, VA -- A reckless crusade by the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) to sabotage the chiropractic profession’s chances for parity in federal health care legislation was brought to a head October 3 as the fringe group aided prominent medical organizations that were testifying against comprehensive legislation that would guarantee chiropractic care for the nation’s veterans.

In a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs (VA) Committee Subcommittee on Health, the WCA submitted written testimony absurdly claiming that the “full scope” legislative provision supported by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) and International Chiropractors Association (ICA) would virtually bar doctors of chiropractic from subluxation-correction services in the VA. Further, the WCA statement argued for a VA provision consistent with the federal Medicare program, which does not reimburse for diagnostic services nor does it reimburse a doctor of chiropractic for services that are authorized under state law.

The testimony followed an earlier issuance of a WCA statement. In this statement, electronically broadcast to members of the chiropractic profession, Dr. Terry A. Rondberg, president of the WCA stated, "We have to make sure we completely counteract the American Chiropractic Association’s efforts to include the provision as part the VA bill.”

Also seeking to defeat the ACA-ACC-ICA-proposed legislation were the American Medical Association (AMA), American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

In a statement provided to the House subcommittee, AMA Executive Vice President E. Ratcliffe , Jr., MD, stated that “expanding current statutory authority regarding the role of chiropractic services could lead to a substantial decline in the quality of health care provided to VA patients.”

The AOA similarly attempted to block the ACA’s efforts with an October 2 news release attacking the educational requirements of the profession.

In addition, the APTA expressed its concern in a statement to Rep. Stearns that VA beneficiaries “may not be appropriate candidates for spinal manipulation given that they are largely a geriatric population.”

“There is no question that the WCA testimony helped the AMA, AOA and the physical therapists in their efforts to limit chiropractic care," said ACA President Dr. A. Mertz. “In our view, the WCA has become a stooge of the medicalprofession with these destructive efforts. We are shocked that the WCA has aligned itself with the medical lobby on these critical legislative efforts -- hurting the chiropractic profession's chances for parity at every turn.”

“The record of legislative disruption by the WCA is nothing new,” added ACA Chairman of the Board of Governors Dr. J. Flynn. “Over the years, the WCA’s actions have perpetuated divisiveness in the chiropractic profession, which has only helped undermine the efforts of legitimate organizations to achieve parity for the chiropractic profession.”

The WCA has a long history of attacking ACA legislative initiatives. WCA’s current activities are similar to their involvement in the ACA’s Medicare x-ray provision (H.R. 916) in 1997, which removed the discriminatory mandatory x-ray requirement for doctors of chiropractic. While the WCA was silent on the issue throughout most of the process, they waited until the legislation was at its most vulnerable point to criticize it. As the ACA was trying to get the provision included in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the WCA sent a letter to every member of Congress opposing the legislation.

“We are opposed to any expansion of the scope of practice beyond the correction of a misaligned spinal bone to correct nerve interference which will dramatically increase health care costs,” WCA President Dr. Rondberg wrote in the destructive 1997 letter. “That is what would be the ultimate result of your removing this requirement. Chiropractors freed from this requirement will likely engage in duplicating other medical services that exceed their training and licensure.”

Medicare’s mandatory x-ray requirement was included in Medicare at the insistence of the medical establishment in 1972. Its specific purpose was to be a barrier to chiropractic care. WCA’s actions at such a critical moment almost cost the ACA and the chiropractic profession a landmark victory.

“In rationalizing its efforts, the WCA contends that it is committed to allowing doctors of chiropractic to provide subluxation-correction services,” added Dr. Mertz. “However, the ACA is the only national membership organization actively fighting – in the courts – for the right of doctors of chiropractic to correct a subluxation.”

In late 1998, the ACA filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services claiming that new Medicare+Choice guidelines unlawfully allow Medicare managed care plans to substitute the services of other health care providers to correct a subluxation.

“In the WCA written testimony they wrongfully claim that ‘thousands of licensed, capable doctors of chiropractic would be virtually banned from providing subluxation-correction services through the VA system,’” said Dr. Flynn. “The VA legislation, proposed by the ACA, ACC and ICA, did not exclude subluxation correction in any stretch of anyone’s imagination, and it is fraudulent, in ACA’s opinion, for the WCA to attempt to sell tickets to membership in their association by touting themselves as the saviors of chiropractic. Their efforts to limit the profession to only the analysis and correction of vertebral subluxation and to prevent a doctor of chiropractic from utilizing their vast training in diagnosis, rehabilitation and the use of therapeutic modalities – and their attempt to make this a policy throughout the United States – must be exposed.”

The WCA boasts that they represent thousands of doctors of chiropractic, yet they will not release any membership statistics. Another fringe group, the National Association of Chiropractic Medicine, that wants to limit chiropractic to restricted care of the low back, and only with a medical referral, also will not release their membership numbers.

“The way both groups use half truths, innuendos and spin mis-information reminds me of the tactics of organized medicine when they attempted to prevent state licensure of the chiropractic profession,” said Dr. Flynn.

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