Medicare Chiropractic Bill Could Improve Care and Reduce Opioids

The Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act could help provide more cost effective and safer care for U.S. seniors

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to improve coverage of services provided by a doctor of chiropractic to Medicare patients. The legislation, H.R. 3645, known as the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2019, would "align Medicare's coverage of chiropractic services with that of other federal health care providers as well as many private health plans."

For years, Medicare coverage has been overly restrictive on services provided by chiropractic physicians, forcing these patients to pay out of pocket for examinations or adjunct therapies. Doctors of chiropractic are the only physicians restricted in this way.

Multiple studies comparing Medicare patients under the care of chiropractors have shown good benefit as well as cost savings compared to more expensive medical care. Other Medicare studies of chiropractic patients have revealed prescription opioid use at half the rate compared to patients seeing a medical provider for a similar condition. H.R. 3645 has the potential to reduce overall health care costs for Medicare patients seeing a doctor of chiropractic as well as significantly reducing high risk opioid use.

The American Chiropractic Association described the bill stating it "would enable beneficiaries to more easily access the chiropractic profession's broad-based, non-drug approach to pain management, which includes Medicare-covered services such as manual manipulation of the spine and extremities, evaluation and management services, diagnostic imaging and utilization of other non-drug approached that have become an important strategy in national efforts to stem the epidemic of prescription opioid overuse and abuse."

To help voice support to improve the health coverage of U.S. seniors, please take one minute to use the link below to send a letter of support to your U.S. Representative:

Support Medicare Modernization