CHIROWEB | DC Archives - (National Board Donates $75,000 to ACA's Federal Lawsuit)

National Board Donates $75,000 to ACA's Federal Lawsuit

HCFA's Medicare Part C regulations (Medicare's managed care plan), which went into effect January 1, 1999, allow MDs and DOs to adjust patients in lieu of chiropractors. Of major concern to the ACA is that private-sector managed care plans across the country will adopt the Medicare model and thereby circumvent the services of chiropractors.

The ACA originally filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Department of Health and Human Services, et al. (which oversees HCFA), on November 12th, 1998 to block HCFA from implementing the new regulations, and has been in a legal tussle ever since.

"It is unthinkable that any licensed provider might be able to perform spinal manipulations to correct a subluxation, even though that provider has not received the extensive and specific training of licensed doctors of chiropractic," observed Dr. Peter Ferguson, president of the NBCE. "Successful litigation against HCFA and the federal government will benefit the entire chiropractic profession - an endeavor which the NBCE is proud to support," he concluded.

"The ACA is extremely grateful to the NBCE for its generosity and dedication to the national chiropractic community. Thanks to the commitment of such organizations and individuals, we can fight the battle to protect the rights of all doctors of chiropractic to perform spinal manipulation to correct a subluxation," said ACA President James Mertz,DC.

The ACA reports that as of early November, 5,352 individuals and organizations have contributed to the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund, which was established to financially assist the ACA and its fellow plaintiffs in its legal battles against HCFA, Trigon Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and the national Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association.

For more information about the ACA's lawsuit against HCFA, et al., call (800) 986-4636 or visit http://www.acatoday.com.