by Kelly Stephens
| Fletcher Contributes as New CP Orthotic Columnist  Chiropractic Products welcomes David S. Fletcher, DC, FCCSS(C), of Pickering, Ontario, as the “Orthotics Advisor” columnist.
An accomplished chiropractor, lecturer, and coach, Fletcher comes to the magazine with 22 years of chiropractic practice experience. He is the originator of the Path to Wellness™ model of subluxation-based patient care. In addition, Fletcher is the CEO/president of StressEssentials—a corporate wellness program with affiliations in Canadian industry—and the COO/owner of Velocity Europe—a practice and professional growth program for European chiropractic offices. A fellow of the College of Chiropractic Sport Sciences at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto, Fletcher runs DCCoach/RippleFX coaching methods, a chiropractor consultant firm in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, that offers individual coaching services, seminars, and distance learning modules through the ChiroAcademy™. As the orthotics advisor, Fletcher hopes to cover what he views as the emerging body of knowledge and respect for postural tone. He believes that a balanced and more adaptive nervous system equates to better patient health and wellness. “The orthotics column will be a forum for the discussion of both postural and tonal issues and how orthotics play an integral role in a wellness-based practice,” Fletcher says. “The opportunity exists for all practitioners to provide congruent advice, service, and products that support the chiropractic message. Orthotics can become an important and effective tool in enhancing the power of an adjustment.” |
DC Serves Time for Medicare Fraud
Submitting $219,000 in false claims to Medicare has netted 6 years behind bars for a Denver-area chiropractor. Thomas R. Lawrence, DC, must also reimburse Medicare $118,000. In February, a jury found Lawrence guilty of submitting false and fraudulent claims, including claims for chelation therapy to prevent heart disease, a treatment not covered by Medicare that the federal government considers experimental. Chelation therapy is a recognized treatment only for poisoning with heavy metals, such as lead, according to a press release issued by the US Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado. Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General were involved in investigating and prosecuting the case.
Chiropractor Faces Charges for Treating Pet
Some chiropractors believe that what is good for their patients’ spines benefits man’s best friend too—but unless you are a veterinarian, do not open your canine adjustment practice just yet. North Carolina is cracking down on doctors of chiropractic and other nonveterinary providers who treat animals, the Wilmington Star-News reported June 18. In what appeared to be a sting operation in June, a licensed chiropractor was charged with practicing veterinary medicine without a license after allegedly performing an adjustment on a dog with hip dysplasia. The state is serious about prosecuting chiropractors and others who practice veterinary medicine without a vet license, officials say. In North Carolina, the offense is a high-level misdemeanor. Chiropractic care for animals is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, state officials have no problem with the idea that pets could benefit from spinal adjustments, the paper reports. But a veterinary license—not just a chiropractic one—is required for this type of treatment, state medical boards insist.
SACS Grants Sherman College Accreditation
After 3 years of self-evaluations, surveys, meetings, focused site visits, a 300-page self-study, and several progress reports, Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic, Spartanburg, SC, received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The official approval came on June 21 and is good for a 5-year period, retroactive to January 1, 2002. “Being accredited by SACS confirms what our alumni, faculty, staff, and students have known for a long time—that Sherman College is a well-run, high-quality institution,” said President Jerry L. Hardee, EdD. “Having external, objective validation of that fact by a regional accrediting agency further enhances our image and reputation in the chiropractic profession and in the general academic community.” Sherman College voluntarily sought accreditation with SACS. The agency accredits other area institutions, such as Duke University, Durham, NC; the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; and Converse College, Spartanburg, SC. Benefits of holding regional accreditation with SACS, according to campus officials, include enhancing the college’s placement in the nonchiropractic collegiate community, facilitating stronger relationships with other SACS-accredited academic institutions, opening opportunities for research collaboration, and aiding in the development of Three Plus One programs with area undergraduate colleges. Three Plus One programs allow students to complete 3 years of prerequisites at an undergraduate institution and then transfer to Sherman College. “A major benefit of being accredited by SACS is that it allows us to reach out and interact with nonchiropractic colleges and universities in the region,” said senior vice president for institutional advancement, Leroy G. Moore, DC, who led the self-study process. “This accreditation further legitimizes Sherman College’s status in the collegiate community,” he said. Sherman College is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Chiropractic Education and is licensed by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.
| ACA Reports Broad Support of Legal Action | | According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), leaders of every major chiropractic organization have united with one rally cry—SOS, Save Our Subluxation. “This profession cannot allow DOs and MDs to steal the identification and treatment of subluxations. And we cannot permit the insurance industry to squeeze us out of the health care system with their discriminatory schemes,” said Fabrizio Mancini, DC, president of Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas. The support follows two lawsuits that seek to end the alleged private and government sector discrimination against chiropractic. The first lawsuit, filed November 12, 1998, pits the ACA against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, formerly HCFA), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It was filed in connection with Medicare regulations that permit nondoctors of chiropractic to provide manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation. The second lawsuit, filed August 18, 2002, pits the ACA, the Virginia Chiropractic Association, 10 doctors of chiropractic, and 18 patients against managed care giant Trigon Blue Cross/Blue Shield (now owned by Anthem) of Virginia. This suit seeks to address what some doctors of chiropractic view as Trigon’s antichiropractic policies and discrimination. To fund these legal battles, the National Chiropractic Legal Action Fund (NCLAF) was formed. The campaign to support this legal action was dubbed the “Save Our Subluxation”—or SOS—campaign primarily because it seeks to preserve the chiropractic service in Medicare law. However, funds raised from the campaign will be used to support both suits. In the most recent developments in the lawsuit against HHS, Medicare issued a revised policy letter stating physical therapists, as nonphysicians, could not be used by Medicare managed care organizations to provide the service of “manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation.” The ACA hailed the January 15, 2002, revision as a major victory in the lawsuit. In the case against Trigon Blue Cross/Blue Shield, on July 31, 2002, the plaintiffs served their expert witness statements. They selected Scott Haldeman, MD, PhD, DC, who attests to the scientific validity and status of chiropractic care. They also chose Professor Leonard G. Schifrin, PhD, professor of economics, emeritus, at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va, and clinical professor of preventive medicine at the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond. Schifrin concentrates on the economic efficiency and effectiveness studies relating to chiropractic and the economic damage imposed on chiropractors in the Trigon network in Virginia. The case is scheduled to go to trial in November 2002. The chiropractic organizations that have thrown support behind the NCLAF include the ACA, the International Chiropractors Association, the World Chiropractic Alliance, the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations, the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, the National Association of Chiropractic Attorneys, and the Association of Chiropractic Colleges. “Our profession has survived because of past generations of DCs who were labeled as second-class citizens, charlatans, and quacks. These pioneers had the vision to dedicate their lives to serving humanity regardless of the consequences, even if it meant serving time in jail,” said Monte Greenawalt, DC, founder of Foot Levelers Inc, Roanoke, Va, and spokesperson for the NCLAF. “These legal battles are this generation’s challenge. How we respond will affect our future and the future of chiropractic for decades to come.” |
Medicare To Cover NMES for Walking
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in July that it intends to expand Medicare coverage of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to assist people with spinal cord injuries in walking. “CMS is committed to paying for technologies that promote the health and welfare of Medicare beneficiaries,” CMS Administrator Tom Scully said. “This future policy will improve the quality of life for spinal-cord–injured patients who are able to use NMES to assist them in walking.” NMES uses electrical stimulation to activate paralyzed or weak muscles in precise sequence in an effort to enhance the standing and walking abilities of spinal-cord–injured individuals. Since 1984, NMES has been covered for treatment of disuse atrophy when the nerve supply to the muscle is intact and for other non-neurological reasons. All other uses of NMES were noncovered. Since not all spinal-cord–injured patients are able to use NMES devices for walking, Medicare only plans to cover patients who can use and benefit from these devices. Medicare will provide NMES coverage for walking for those persons with intact lower motor units (L1 and below); with at least 6-month postrecovery spinal cord injury and restorative surgery; without hip and knee degenerative disease or history of long bone fracture secondary to osteoporosis; and who have demonstrated a willingness to use the device in the long term; have completed regular sessions of physical therapy with the device over a period of 3 months; can bear weight on their lower and upper extremities; maintain an upright posture independently; transfer independently; stand for at least 3 minutes; possess high motivation, commitment, and cognitive ability to use the device for walking; demonstrate hand and finger function to manipulate the controls; demonstrate brisk muscle contraction in response to NMES; and have sensory perception of electrical stimulation sufficient for muscle contraction. Also, the goal of therapy must be to train spinal-cord–injured patients in the uses of NMES/functional electrical stimulation to achieve walking, not to reverse or retard muscle atrophy.
Correction:
On the list of Editorial Advisory Board members in the Editor’s Message department, the doctor of chiropractic (DC) credential for Arthur G. Hack, DC, was inadvertantly left out. Chiropractic Products regrets the error. |
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