ACA's "Call to Arms"

Success of Federal Lawsuit Seen As Critical to Chiropractic's Future

By Editorial Staff

The gist of the lawsuit filed by the American Chiropractic Association against the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is to stop new Medicare Part C regulations from being implemented. Those regulations will give physical therapists and other providers a federal mandate to do adjustments in place of chiropractors.

And because many states use the Medicare model in private-sector managed care plans, the chiropractic domain, the adjustment, may be supplanted by PTs and MDs in managed care plans across the country.

"Medicare Part C could eventually accomplish what the AMA conspiracy failed to: contain and eventually eliminate thec hiropractic profession," warned ACA Executive Vice President Garrett Cuneo.

The background of the HCFA lawsuit and the Medicare Part C regulations was laid out in detail by ACA General Counsel George McAndrews in our Nov. 2, 1998 issue.¹ And when the ACA filed suit on Nov. 12, 1998, we posted that document on our website (www.chiroweb.com/special/acacomplaint.html).

The ACA has now made available an audio tape (1-800©986-4636) that gives a chronology of the ACA's involvement in the development of the Medicare regulations. The tape is titled "Overview of Medicare Managed Care and the Continuation of the Wilk Conspiracy." The ACA asserts, correctly, that "this is not just ACA's lawsuit -- it's ours." The estimates of the cost of the suit range from $300,000 to $5,000,000. No chiropractic group alone can take on the federal government.

• The National Mutual Insurance Company (NCMIC) has contributed $50,000 to the lawsuit.²


• The National Association of Chiropractic Attorneys (NACA) has pledged to contribute to the lawsuit, apparently the first time the NACA has helped fund a chiropractic lawsuit.


• The Connecticut and Kansas Chiropractic Associations have each donated $5,000 toward the lawsuit; the South Dakota Chiropractic Association has also contributed.

To contribute to the HCFA lawsuit, call 1-800-986-4636. Donations can be made by credit card or check payable to the Legal Action Fund/HCFA Lawsuit. The address is: P.O. Box 75359 Baltimore, MD 21275

References

1. Chiropractic on the Medicare chopping block? DC, Nov. 1, 1998.
2. NCMIC donates $50,000 toward suit. DC, Dec. 14, 98.