AMA Limits DC Impairment Evaluation

[Guest guest]

Let's see how often this will come up later, though the " Letter " has

been issued.

G. Smalling, D.C.

" AMA Limits DC Impairment to Spine Only "

After receiving a strongly worded letter from American Chiropractic

Association (ACA) legal counsel, the American Medical Association

(AMA) has announced that it will take " immediate and visible steps to

counteract any potential confusion " regarding language in its Guides

to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition that

restricted chiropractic impairment evaluations to the spine only.

Specifically, the language in question, found on page 20 in a section

titled " Fundamental Principles of the Guides, " states: " A licensed

physician must perform impairment evaluations. Chiropractic doctors,

if authorized by the appropriate jurisdictional authority to perform

ratings under the Guides, should restrict rating to the spine. " Upon

learning of this language, ACA general counsel R. Daly sent a

letter to the AMA on Feb. 7 that stated, in part:

" In our view, the action of the AMA in issuing this standard

unlawfully restricts competition and excludes a competitive rival,

i.e., doctors of chiropractic from the provision of impairment

ratings. We note that neither the ACA, nor any other major

chiropractic group, was approached or provided input in the standard

setting process that established this new restriction. "