Chiropractic Takes Its Case to the DOJ

The article highlights a significant initiative by Chiropractic Future, which has submitted three formal filings to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). These submissions specifically target the DOJ’s Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force to address systemic inequities that impede reimbursement, restrict patient access, and foster discriminatory treatment of chiropractors within the healthcare system.The key grievances detailed include: Provider Discrimination, where chiropractors face unequal reimbursement and unjustified network exclusion despite legal protections and billing for services identical to those provided by other healthcare professionals. This practice directly suppresses market competition and limits patient access to care. Another critical issue is Medicare Disparities, where chiropractors, though federally recognized as “physicians,” are only reimbursed for spinal manipulation, excluding other in-scope services like evaluations and diagnostics that are covered for other providers. Finally, ERISA Abuse is outlined, where self-funded plans exploit preemption to impose lower rates, arbitrary visit limits, and improper payment recoupments, violating fiduciary duties. This collaborative effort, acknowledging contributions from other national chiropractic organizations, aims to expose and challenge these barriers, striving for fair access and consistent reimbursement for chiropractic care.