On August 21, 2001, A.M. Best announced that it had downgraded the PHICO group from B ("fair") to an E rating ("under regulatory supervision"). This was done because PHICO was placed in "rehabilitation" on August 16, 2001 by the Pennsylvania insurance commissioner. The action by the Commissioner is designed to protect policyholders and follows a decline in PHICO's surplus from $127 million to $6.8 million.
Although many of their insureds are still with PHICO the International Chiropractic Association's (ICA's) ChiroSecure insurance program began moving its policyholders to ACE ("A+" A.M. Best rating) last year when it became concerned with PHICO's financial strength. The move by the Pennsylvania commissioner prevents PHICO from writing any new policies, while maintaining remaining surplus to address the needs of existing policyholders.
As PHICO is an admitted carrier in all states where ICA's ChiroSecure writes its policies, their insureds would generally be covered by their state's insurance guarantee fund, should PHICO's remaining surplus prove insufficient. Because their policyholders may not receive a refund if they switched carriers prior to their renewal date, ICA's ChiroSecure is notifying each policyholder and offering the option to switch carriers early, or wait until their renewal period.
Stuart Hoffman,DC, president of ChiroSecure commented:
"Our primary concern is always the practicing doctor of chiropractic. The ICA Board approved ACE as our backup insurer last year to protect our policyholders from what has proven to be an unstable insurance market. We are contacting every policyholder personally to help them assess their individual needs and take the best course of action to protect their practice at all times."Through our negotiations with ACE, we have been able to maintain the strength of our malpractice policy while negotiating even lower rates in most states. Doctors can contact me directly for answers to any questions or for additional information (480-657-8500)."
Recent laws in New Jersey and California represent a disturbing trend that will negatively impact a practice’s ability to collect monies from patients, as well as expose them to significant penalties if the practice does not follow the mandatory guidelines to a T. Please be aware that a similar law may be coming to your state. The time to act is before the law is passed.
With estimates showing over 30 million Americans affected by peripheral neuropathy – and a significant portion underdiagnosed – it’s increasingly likely that chiropractors are already treating these patients. What’s missing is structured recognition, comprehensive management and targeted tools to slow progression, improve function and support systemic health.
Each year, ICD-10-CM is updated on Oct. 1. For 2026, there are 74,179 total codes, with 487 additions, 28 deletions and 38 revisions. Code changes are based on date of service, not the claim submission date. Services performed on/after Oct. 1 must use the new codes. While no changes affect the common spinal or extraspinal codes most frequently used by DCs, several updates may still affect your claims – particularly for comorbidities, referred pain, or trauma cases.
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