How Will the Healthcare Reform Bill Help Chiropractic Patients?

For the hundreds of thousands of patients who get critical pain relief only through chiropractic treatments, President Obama's Healthcare Reform Bill will offer some relief in the financial department as well. Until 1980, the AMA instructed physicians that it was unethical to refer their patients to chiropractors. After an injunction was issued against the AMA for this particularly ludicrous mandate, chiropractors are slowly but surely beginning to take their rightful place among healthcare providers. Today a large percentage of physicians routinely send their patients who have been in an auto accident, or suffered a slip and fall, to chiropractors. The services rendered by chiropractic professionals are considered a vital part of your total health.

Insurance Carriers Will Approve Chiropractor's Bill

Although the changes affecting chiropractic services will not actually kick in until January 1, 2014, they are important for those who routinely seek the services of chiropractors. Section 2706, also known as the Harkin Amendment prevents insurance companies from discriminating against chiropractors, as well as nurse practitioners, Optometrists, Podiatrists and other medical professionals. The bill labeled present practices as "abusive" and stated that the current discrimination against the chiropractic profession denies patients choice and access to a range of beneficial healthcare providers. The Healthcare Reform Bill also specifically includes chiropractors in interdisciplinary community health teams which will consist of primary health care providers as well as other licensed integrative health professionals. In short, your chiropractor will now be considered a valued member of your healthcare team, and paid by insurance companies accordingly.

How Do Chiropractors Help?

Thirty-one million Americans suffer from lower back pain at any given time, and one-third of all Americans over age 18 have had back problems of some sort in the past five years. Studies have found that the use of chiropractic care for back problems resulted in an overall reduction in health care expenditures. Those who regularly see chiropractors, have an extremely high level of satisfaction with their care, and research shows that chiropractic healthcare is just as effective-if not more so-than conventional medical pain management. Most especially following an accident, a chiropractor can offer a level of pain relief that cannot be found by simply increasing the level of painkillers. Chiropractors work closely with their patients, providing treatment as well as suggestions on life style changes; the Healthcare Reform Bill will allow them to do so under the approval of insurance carriers-good news for patients!

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Tags:  Accident Injury · Accident Pain Management · Accident Treatment · Chiropractic · Chiropractors · Healthcare Reform Bill