"E-FACTS" REPORT FROM THE  ICA PRESIDENT  D.D. Humber, DC, FICA

FIRST VETERANS CHIROPRACTIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 23-25^th: The Federal Register, the U.S. government's official journal has published an announcement on the first meeting of the Chiropractic Advisory Committee created by Congress to advise the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on the new chiropractic program.   The official notice reads, in part, as follows: 56613 Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 171 / Wednesday, September 4, 2002 / Notices: DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, Chiropractic Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under Public Law 92-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that the Chiropractic Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting on Monday, September 23, 2002, through Wednesday, September 25, 2002, at the Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Room 430 Washington DC 20420. The meeting will convene daily at 8:30 a.m. and conclude Monday and Tuesday at 5 p.m. and Wednesday at 12 noon. The meeting is open to the public... No time will be allocated at this meeting for receiving oral presentations from the public. However, the Committee will accept written comments from interested parties on issues affecting the development and implementation of the chiropractic health program within the Veterans Health Administration.

ICA Board Member Dr. Michael S. McLean of Virginia Beach, Virginia has been appointed to serve on this important body.   Dr. McLean has been busy preparing a strong, positive presentation, coordinating information and thoughts with the other chiropractic members of the committee and studying Department of Veterans Affairs procedures and organization.  ICA looks forward to an interesting, intense and perhaps difficult effort to secure the chiropractic benefits Congress has mandated for America's military veterans.  ICA cooperated with other major chiropractic organizations in securing the passage of the legislation authorizing this new program last year and is seeking continued coordination and cooperation as the profession works to insure that no bureaucratic obstruction or agency bias delays this new program.  This federal agency has a history of prejudice and obstructionism regarding chiropractic that will require the ongoing efforts of a determined chiropractic profession to insure that chiropractic services become readily available to veterans on a timely basis.    ICA will keep you fully informed of developments on this critical public policy issue. 

 REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN FOR ICA'S 12^th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHIROPRACTIC AND PEDIATRICS SCHEDULED FOR NEW ORLEANS, NOVEMBER 22-24th: The ICA Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics continues to raise the bar on chiropractic continuing education with its superior pediatric programs year after year. The first organization to present a conference devoted entirely to pediatrics and to contribute to pediatrics research literature with the presentation of papers, the ICA's Pediatrics conferences have become standing room only events drawing doctors and students from all over the world year after year. This year the conference will be held November 22-24th at the Wyndham Hotel at Canal Place in New Orleans, Louisiana. A slate of excellent speakers, many of whom are Diplomates in Chiropractic Pediatrics (there are currently only 100 in the US and Canada) will share with doctors and students their knowledge, education and clinical experience on a variety of topics ranging from scoliosis, vaccinations, developmental milestones, pregnancy issues, examination and evaluation of newborns, inter-professional care, risk factors, research writing, etc. The program includes 14 lectures, presentation of six research papers from the field, and three adjustive/technique workshops. Speakers include: Dr. Peter Fysh, Dr. Maxine McMullen, Dr. Joan Fallon, Dr. Lora Tanis, Dr. Carol Phillips, Dr. Arthur Copes, Dr. Donna Craft, Dr. Christine Hyman, Dr. Janet Cuhel, Dr. Rick Statler, Dr. Lois Ladd. Guest speaker is well-known Founder President of the National Vaccine Information Center, Ms. Barbara Loe Fisher. The conference is co-sponsored by Palmer College of Chiropractic and 21 hours of license renewal credits have been applied for in all states that approved out-of state programs. For a registration form and more information, click here (pdf).  A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AND A SPECIAL FOCUS ON CHIROPRACTIC CHILD CARE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT.  Chiropractic must fight the alarming trends that are emerging in public policy and in the insurance realm that would cut off access to chiropractic services for this very special segment of the population.  ICA's Pediatrics Council has led the profession and this year's International Conference is a must for anyone interested in this very important aspect of chiropractic.

GREAT NEW OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE COVERAGE IS NOW AVAILABLE TO CHIROPRACTIC PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNITED STATES:  After months of searching the nationwide insurance markets and hard negotiations with one of the nation's top carriers, ICA is proud to announce the availability of a new occupational accident insurance program that will provide DCs throughout the United States with much needed injury coverage and disability income benefits in the event of any work-related accident.  AIG, one of the nation's most respected AAA rated carriers, is offering doctors of chiropractic a new policy that will provide up to $2000 per month in disability income and up to $500,000 in health care expenses.  IN TODAY'S INSURANCE MARKET, ANY KIND OF DISABILITY COVERAGE FOR CHIROPRACTORS IS HARD TO COME BY!  ICA IS PROUD TO OFFER THIS EXCEPTIONAL PLAN THROUGH ONE OF THE BEST COMPANIES, AT HIGHLY COMPETITIVE RATES.   This program, which is exclusively for chiropractors, offers a host of benefits, including:

Accident health care expenses up to $500,000

Disability income  - up to $500 per week

Accidental death benefit - $50,000 lump sum

Survivor income benefit - $100,000 ($1,000 per week)

Paralysis benefit - $150,000 (lump sum)

No health care professional can afford to be without the kind of safety net this program provides.  Tailored for self-employed professionals, this new package is as complete and comprehensive as anything you can find in the insurance marketplace, all for an amazing $62.50 a month.  THIS COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE TODAY BY CALLING SELF-FUNDED ALTERNATIVES AT 1-800-535-7086!

WIDELY USED CHOLESTEROL CONTROL DRUGS LINKED TO SEVERE NERVE DAMAGE:  Warnings are being published throughout the health care world as well as in the popular press of the danger of severe nerve damage in persons on the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs called "statins".  Health care researchers in Denmark have published a study involving 500,000 subjects where they found that persons who took statins had a significantly higher risk of developing polyneuropathy, a nerve degeneration syndrome marked by difficulty in movement, severe pain and numbness or tingling in the extremities.  The popularity of the drug, sold under the names Lipitor, Zocor and Pravacol, is now being challenged by research findings that indicate that taking statins for a period of just one year raises the risk of nerve damage by approximately 15 percent, and for two years by 26 percent.  All of the major brands of the cholesterol drug now list the risk of nerve damage as a possible side effect on their packaging labels.   The Danish study was recently published in the health care journal Neurology.

WHILE THE RISKS OF CHOLESTEROL DRUGS ARE BEING REVEALED, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT EVEN MODEST EXERCISE CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE IN WOMEN: This week's New England Journal of Medicine reports on the results of a study that tracked 74,000 women over six years and found that walking for 2.5 hours a week or the equivalent in other brisk activity can reduce the risk of heart attack and/or stroke by a third.     The abstract of the study stated: "These prospective data indicate that both walking and vigorous exercise are associated with substantial reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular events among postmenopausal women, irrespective of race or ethnic group, age, and body-mass index. Prolonged sitting predicts increased cardiovascular risk. ^"  For more information on this important article, go to http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/347/10/716.  Doctors of chiropractic have always recognized the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle and that natural approaches to health are the body's best first defense.  This is information that is important to share with every patient, especially in light of the growing evidence of the dangerous side effects of many heart-related drugs.