An Update on H.R. 2654
The Chiropractic Medicare Modernization Act has been gaining traction. This week, Ben Schwarm, the ICS Director of Government Relations, provides an update. Watch the video to learn more!
Transcript:
Hi, this is Ben Swarm, Director of Government Relations for the Illinois Chiropractic Society. You probably heard us talk recently about some legislation in Congress, the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act. The bill was first introduced three years ago and has been reintroduced in this current session of Congress. There are some new developments to the bill, we just wanted to bring you up to date and catch you up on where we are and what progress has been made so far.
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The bill would allow Medicare beneficiaries access to a full range of chiropractic treatment, including manipulation of spine and extremities, evaluations, diagnostic imaging, and other non-drug approaches to health care. Medicare beneficiaries are currently only covered for one chiropractic service, manual manipulation of the spine. They are forced to pay out of pocket for any additional services or seek those services to a different type of health care provider, requiring more time travel and expense for the patient. This change would allow Medicare patients to have seamless continued care for chiropractic treatment once they transition from private healthcare insurance to Medicare coverage as well as making it more convenient for the patient to continue treatment. The change will ultimately be a cost saving to the federal program by allowing patients to continue care with their DCs, instead of having to use other possibly more costly healthcare providers to receive the same services. The importance of keeping this drug-free approach to pain and healthcare goes without saying. Continuing coverage for these services will only reduce the need for prescription drugs and for opioids for pain relief.
The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives as HR 2654. Sponsored by Representative Brian Higgins of New York. There are currently 135 co-sponsors in the house split evenly between both political parties. Such bipartisan support for legislation is a great asset and moving a bill forward in Washington. Seven members of the Illinois congressional delegation have already signed on as co-sponsors. Representatives Rodney Davis, Danny Davis, Jan Schakowsky, Bill Foster, Bobby Rush, Mike Bost, and Mary Miller have already signed on to the bill. The Senate version has now been introduced. Senator Richard Blumenthal has introduced SR 4042. Senator Blumenthal from Connecticut. Co-sponsors are senators Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Richard Wicker, excuse me, Roger Wicker of Mississippi.
We’re currently making a big push to move these bills forward. We’re trying to add more co-sponsors to ensure the likelihood that they will be considered in a committee in either the House or the Senate. So we’re asking you to please contact your local elected officials and ask them to sign on as a co-sponsor to the bill. Please contact our United States Senators Richard Durbin, and Tammy Duckworth, and if your congressman has not already signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill, please contact him or her and ask them to do so. Legislative Advocacy is a key part of our work here at the ICS we want to thank you for helping us out on this important issue. Please stay tuned as we move forward, and we will be bringing you more up-to-date information as progress continues. Thank you.
