Urgent Alert Comments to the Oregon Health Policy Board - Ending Jan. 3

[Guest guest]

Dear colleagues,

The profession needs you to step up and follow through like you always do we must send in our personal comments and have our patients do the same.

Here is the issue. Oregon is forming "Coordinated Care Organizations" which will likely be controlled by the hospitals and the medical IPAs and as such opens the door for "Non-MD" healthcare providers to be discriminated against - the MDs and the Hospitals are not going to want to share the money - go figure!

What You and Your Patients Need to DO!

You and Your patients must send a comment by email to the "Oregon Health Policy Board" by Jan. 3! Here is the email address: OHPB.Info@...

Here are come suggested sample comments/talking points. I would recommend placing these on a one sheet of paper to give to patients as a guide for them to post to the OHPB. I just started passing out these sheets and talking to my patients about the need to have them give input yesterday interesting a number of them did so right in front of me with their i-phones ha! Here are some suggested comments/talking points:

Please ensure that Oregon's coming "Coordinated Care Organizations" are not allowed to discriminate against my chiropractor he/she is the only one that has ever helped me and he/she did it without all the drugs my medical doctor had me taking.

If we are really going to change how we deliver healthcare in Oregon not just change how we pay for it. If we are going to try to get somewhat away from all the drugs and their side effects these CCOs must not be able to discriminate against the natural healers such as chiropractic and naturopathic physicians, acupunturists, massage therapists etc.

So why is it that the Oregon Health Plan will pay for visits to my MD who gives me all the pain medication I want including narcotics and the Oregon Health Plan will pay for these two but will not pay for me to see my chiroprator who gives me pain relief without out the lousy effects of the drugs? Oregon's coming "Coordinated Care Organizations" must not be allowed to discriminate against chiropractors.

Non-discrimination language like that which is in the federal health care law must be included in Oregon law so CCOs cannot discriminate against the Non-MD healers such as chiropractors, massage therapists, naturopaths, acupunturists etc.

I had pain down my right thigh, calf, leg, and into my foot for 8 months and I had started to develop weakness in my right foot. My medical doctor said I had bursitis, his assistant said I had bursitis, I went through 6-months of physical therapy with the therapist treating "bursitis" and I continued to get worse. A friend suggested his chiropractor so I gave it a try. On the first visit the chiropractor took me into his private office and consulted with me asking me many questions about my condition like no other person had then gave me a through examination. He performed all manner of testing, reflexes, tested my foot strength, my feeling by using a pin wheel thing, and did other tests, tests no one had performed, tests my doctor didn't do and found the problem the medical people absolutely all missed. The chiropractor said I had a pinched nerve root which was being pinched by likely a combination of arthritis and a slipped disc and ordered an MRI and he was right. (actually case of mine this week)

Colleagues I think this will get you started add your own......WE MUST KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!!! Also understand this is too important and we are not alone in this fight the Oregon Chiropractic Assoc has strategically built a coalition of other "Non-MD" providers who are adding their voice and are also doing this email blasting of the Oregon Health Policy Board by Jan. 3. We have the naturopaths, massage therapists, acupunturists, optometrists, and looks like we are going to be adding the psychologists!!!!

To The Continued Good Fight!!!!!!!

Vern Saboe questions call any time 541-231-4528