National Medicare Petition |
National Medicare Equality PetitionThe Time for Change is NOWThe American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has launched a major grassroots campaign to enact federal legislation that would achieve full physician status for doctors of chiropractic in Medicare. This initiative would significantly improve the health and wellness of our nation's aging population -- and your support is urgently needed. The National Medicare Equality Petition will raise awareness of how the current Medicare system shortchanges seniors who want and need the essential services provided by doctors of chiropractic (DCs) to stay healthy, pain free and mobile, and how DCs can be a part of the solution for what ails the U.S. health care system. ACA is encouraging doctors of chiropractic across the country to ask their patients and other chiropractic supporters to sign the petition (links below) and add their names to a growing list of Americans who want rightful access to and full reimbursement for services provided by doctors of chiropractic for themselves or their loved ones who are Medicare patients. The plan is to let signers of the petition have their voice heard in Washington through a series of targeted grassroots campaigns to contact their members of Congress and demand a solution to this problem. The ultimate goal is to create a groundswell of support that Congress cannot ignore. BackgroundIn order to benefit America's Medicare patients, ACA’s House of Delegates passed a resolution in February 2015 making Medicare parity a top legislative priority of the association. Chiropractic inclusion in the Medicare program (which is essentially coverage of one service: manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation), was established in 1972 and has since seen little change, other than elimination of the X-ray requirement in 1997 – despite aggressive lobbying efforts by ACA and its members for decades. This means seniors are being denied the full range of chiropractic services that could help them lead healthier and happier lives. Why Should DCs Participate?While Medicare patients may only encompass a small portion of practice for some doctors of chiropractic, Medicare's impact on the practice of health care as well as provider reimbursement is significant—and will become more so as the baby boomer generation continues to age. Medicare serves as a model for private insurance plans and currently serves more than 55 million individuals. Various projections forecast the number of people age 65 or older increasing by about one-third over the next decade. The time for change is now! What You Need to Do
Petition to White House and Members of CongressGive Seniors the Medicare Coverage They Need and Deserve: Full Access to and Reimbursement for Services Provided by Doctors of ChiropracticStudies have shown that essential services provided by doctors of chiropractic (DCs) can help aging Americans live healthier and happier lives, yet every day our nation's seniors are being unjustly denied full access to Medicare covered services by doctors of chiropractic that could improve their quality of life.
Names and other information will be protected and not sold or shared with any third party. Individuals who join the petition will be sent periodic Action Alerts designed to let them know when and how they can contact their members of Congress to advocate for unimpeded chiropractic inclusion in Medicare. They will also receive ChiroHealth, a monthly e-newsletter containing health and wellness tips and information.
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