Senator introduces pro-chiropractic legislation

Senator introduces pro-chiropractic legislation

June 12, 2009 — The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) commended Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., for introducing legislation in the U.S. Senate designed to fully integrate chiropractic as a covered service within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system.

The bill, S.1204, specifically requires the VA to have a doctor of chiropractic on staff at all VA medical facilities by 2012. The legislation was introduced June 8.

Through previous congressional action, chiropractic care is now available at 32 VA facilities across the country; however, in the more than 120 facilities without a doctor of chiropractic on staff, the chiropractic care benefit Congress authorized for America’s veterans remains virtually nonexistent. Detroit, Denver, and Chicago are a few examples of major metropolitan areas without a doctor of chiropractic available at the local VA

According to ACA Vice President of Government Relations John Falardeau, without a congressional directive, further expansion to VA facilities will be on a case-by-case basis and will be excruciatingly slow.

The ACA believes that integrating chiropractic treatment into the VA healthcare system would not only be cost-effective, it would also speed the recovery of many of the veterans returning from current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. A January 2009 report from the Veterans Health Administration indicates that more than 49 percent of veterans returning from the Middle East and Southwest Asia who have sought VA healthcare were treated for symptoms associated with musculoskeletal ailments — the top complaint of those tracked for the report.