Chiropractic, Health Care Reform and Discrimination?

I wanted to take a break from posting interesting new study abstracts in order to address an issue that many people may not be aware of. As we all know by now, out congress recently passed some sweeping changes to the health care system in this country. Part of this legislation (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)) contained an "anti-discrimination" clause (Section 2706). This clause assures that chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, and other physicians without an "M.D. or D.O." after their names, are treated fairly and equally within the new health care system.
Blatant discrimination against other types of physicians has been a policy of the American Medical Association for many years, as evidenced by the landmark legal verdict of Wilk vs. AMA in 1971. We chiropractors were very pleased to see Section 2706 included in the bill that was passed. We thought that perhaps the days of animosity between professions was finally at an end and we can ALL work together for the good of our patients.

Recently the AMA drafted a resolution that states:

"RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association immediately condemn and work to repeal new Public Health Service Act Section 2706, so-called provider “Non-Discrimination in Health Care,” as enacted in PPACA, through active direct and grassroots lobbying of and formal AMA written communications and/or comment letters to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Congressional leaders and the chairs and ranking members of the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance Committees (Directive to Take Action"

It seems that just when we thought we were entering a new era of cooperation and trust, we are again reduced to fighting "turf wars" over such issues as patient access, titles, and coverage by insurance.

If you are currently seeing a chiropractor, podiatrist, optometrist, or any other licensed physician that Section 2706 may effect, PLEASE contact your senator or congressman (or woman) and tell them to preserve Section 2706 in the current legislation.

I'll leave you with a quote from Dr. Benjamin Rush, co-signer of the Declaration of Independence and one of our founding fathers:

"Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship. To restrict the art of healing to one class of men and deny equal privileges to others will constitute the Bastille of medical science. All such laws are un-American and despotic."

Dr. Louis S. Crivelli II
Chiropractic Physician
Greenbelt, MD