FW: National Association of Chiropractic Attorneys Applauds Non-Discrimination in Health Care Reform

[Guest guest]

F.Y.I.,

Vern Saboe DC

ACA Delegate

From: Lee

[mailto:MLee@...]

Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 2:02 PM

Subject: National Association of Chiropractic Attorneys Applauds

Non-Discrimination in Health Care Reform

Media

Contacts:

Lambert: (850) 577-9028 | Lambertlawfirm@...

Mike

Schroeder: mikejschroe@...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2010

National

Association of Chiropractic Attorneys Applauds Non-Discrimination in Health

Care Reform

The National

Association of Chiropractic Attorneys (NACA) today announced that it has issued

a proclamation recognizing “the historic and profoundly positive legal

ramifications for the chiropractic profession and the patient community it

serves in Section 2706, ‘Non-Discrimination in Health Care,’ recently enacted

as part of the federal ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.’”

The provider

non-discrimination provision reads in part: “A group health plan and a health

insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall

not discriminate with respect to participation under the plan or coverage

against any health care provider who is acting within the scope of that

provider’s license or certification under applicable State law.”

The

provision has long been championed by the American Chiropractic Association

(ACA) and members of the Chiropractic Summit. It was achieved primarily due to

collaboration with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and help from other key players

such as Sen. Dodd (D-Conn.). Although he did not support the final bill

overall, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) also lent his support for the advancement of

the non-discrimination provision. ACA will continue to fight for proper

implementation during the regulatory process.

“It is

important to recognize this provision as a historic first for the chiropractic

profession. We now have a federal law applicable to ERISA plans that makes it

against the law for insurance companies to discriminate against doctors of

chiropractic and other providers relative to their participation and coverage

in health plans,” said NACA Vice President Mike Schroeder. “While there is

still much work to be done in the regulatory process, we are encouraged by the

fact that Congress has finally acted to end provider discrimination based on

one’s license.”

It is also

important to note that Section 2706, and its assurance of non-discrimination in

terms of participation and coverage, effectively requires that doctors of

chiropractic be allowed to provide any “essential benefit” that is within their

scope of practice. This will prove to be a particularly significant victory as

the essential benefits package under the health care reform law is defined over

the next couple of years.

“As

significant as Section 2706 is to the chiropractic profession, it is possible

to lose ground during the regulatory drafting process,” said NACA President Lambert. “NACA strongly

encourages all segments of the chiropractic profession to support ACA in its

efforts to ensure that the regulations enacted under Section 2706 properly

reflect the patient protections intended in the statute. "

To support

the work being done to ensure the proper implementation of the provider

non-discrimination provision, visit the CHAMP Web site at http://www.chirochamp.org, and encourage

chiropractic patients to join ChiroVoice at www.chirovoice.org/. In addition, state chiropractic

associations can also adopt resolutions recognizing the importance of Section

2706.

NACA is the

only organization in the United States and Canada dedicated to legal

professionals representing regional, state, local and national chiropractic

associations, chiropractic colleges and state chiropractic licensing boards.

The purpose of NACA is to network and provide legal education on chiropractic

issues to better represent chiropractic associations, licensing boards and

colleges and to advocate on a national and local level for issues benefiting

chiropractic physicians and their patients. NACA provides resource information

to address national and local issues faced by organizations representing or

regulating chiropractic.

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