INTERNATIONAL
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E-FACTS FROM THE ICA PRESIDENT, D.D. HUMBER, D.C., FICA
NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER (NVIC) CALLS FOR ACTION TO BLOCK EFFORTS IN THE U.S. SENATE TO WEAKEN THE FEDERAL VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION PROGRAM: The NVIC has asked for the help of the chiropractic profession in blocking legislation, S. 2053, put forward by Senator Bill Frist, (R-Tennessee) that would badly cripple the current vaccine injury compensation program. Senator Frist is a medical doctor, an outspoken opponent of chiropractic and one of the key advocates for the medical agenda in every aspect of United States public health policy. This bill would amend the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in a way that would benefit drug companies and shield them from liability. There are many provisions to this bill but the most problematic one will stop the ability of a vaccine injury victim to bring a lawsuit in civil court. There is an excellent summary of the bill written by Renee Gentry of the Vaccine Injury Alliance at: http://www.attorneyaccess.net/S2053ByTheNumbers.pdf. ICA HAS ALWAYS STOOD BEHIND SUCH VITAL PUBLIC PROTECTION MEASURES, SUPPORTS THE NVIC'S EFFORTS AND URGES ALL IN CHIROPRACTIC TO DO THE SAME. As health care professionals, we in chiropractic have an important opportunity to speak up on behalf of sound public health and protection policies. All concerned citizens need to stand up for maintaining patient rights to sue in the court system when innocent people are injured. This could be the beginning of the end for all sorts of product liability related lawsuits. NVIC worked hard to preserve the right to sue when this original law was passed. The drug companies are worried because of the lawsuits involving Thimerosal and autism. It makes you wonder what documents might be discovered in a civil case that would never be uncovered in the compensation program. Senator Frist and the drug companies are trying to blame the current vaccine shortages on pending Thimerosal lawsuits that haven't even gotten to court yet. Drug companies have lived liability free since 1987 and now they are using this as an excuse to take away the rights of vaccine-injured Americans. Senator Frist states in a press release that this bill will bring "balance" back to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. NOT TRUE!! The Burton-Waxman bill, HR 3741 is a much better bill that addresses the existing problems in the compensation program, not problems outside the program such as pending lawsuits. ICA IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED OVER THE WAY IN WHICH NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES AND OUTRIGHT FEAR MONGERING ARE BEING USED TO SUPPORT THIS BILL. In his statement in support of the Bill, Senator Frist said the following: "The decision before us is whether to build on the success of vaccines in the 21st Century. And I speak not only of vaccines that already exist and may be in short supply, but future vaccines that will prevent HIV/AIDS or cure Alzheimer's or help the United States win the war on terror through the development of safer vaccines to protect us, and our children, against biological agents." The use of such language in promotion of what is little other than an economic enhancement bill for the drug companies reveals an almost sinister side to this effort that should put all Americans on their guard. There are a handful of Senators who will handle this bill in the weeks ahead. If you live in a state that is listed please get in touch with their office immediately. If you don't see your state listed contact your Senator and tell him or her to oppose this bill and to call Senator Frist and other committee members and ask them to oppose it.
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
senator@kennedy.senate.gov senator@dodd.senate.gov
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov senator@mikulski.senate.gov
Sen. James Jeffords (D-VT) Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Vermont@jeffords.senate.gov senator_Bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
Paul Wellstone (D-MN) Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
wellstone@wellstone.senate.gov senator_murray@murray.senate.gov
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) Sen. John Edwards (D-NC)
jack@reed.senate.gov senator@edwards.senate.gov
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)
senator@clinton.senate.gov mailbox@gregg.senate.gov
Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-AR)
Senator@enzi.senate.gov senator.Hutchinson@hutchinson.senate.gov
Sen. John Warner (R-VA) Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO)
senator@warner.senate.gov kit_bond@bond.senate.gov
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Pat_Roberts@roberts.senate.gov Senator@Collins.senate.gov
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH)
senator@sessions.senate.gov senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov
ERIC RUSSELL, DC, LCP, FICA, ELECTED THIRD PRESIDENT OF LOYAL LEGION OF CHIROPRACTIC PHILOSOPHERS: Eric Russell, DC, LCP, FICA has been elected as the third president of the Loyal Legion of Chiropractic Philosophers in what promises to be a banner year in terms of membership growth and expansion of services. Dr. Russell is a 1996 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA and was among the inaugural graduates of the distinguished Palmer Legion of Chiropractic Philosophers, (LCP) degree first awarded in 2000, after successfully completing the rigorous 120-hour postgraduate program in chiropractic philosophy. The group plans to expand their membership services to LCP and PhC graduates from all over the world by continuing to offer live teleconference meetings and reaching out to include holders of the PhC degree, the predecessor of today's LCP program. "I am also looking forward to participating in our alliance with the ICA in developing and implementing the ICA's Diplomate in Philosophical Chiropractic Standards (DPhCS). The program will launch next November, in Davenport, Iowa and will also be the focal point of an international philosophy conference in May of 2003 in Kansas City," Dr. Russell said. This program will use the initial 120 hours of the LCP program in the 300-hour ICA diplomate program. The LLCP was designed with the purpose of honoring the legacy of chiropractic philosophy and to advance those principles and tenets laid down by the chiropractic profession's great thinkers and writers. "We recognize that the great innovators of chiropractic philosophy are slowly leaving, and we want to be sure that their efforts and commitments to this great profession don't go with them," said LCP First Vice President Brian Flannery, DC, LCP. "A major part of the LCP and D.PhC.S program is focused on developing a group of experts in chiropractic philosophy, so that the triune of chiropractic remains strong and intact for eternity." For more information about the Palmer Legion of Chiropractic Philosophers (LCP) colloquium program, contact Tricia at the Palmer Institute for Professional Advancement at 800-452-5032. For more information about the ICA's Diplomate of Philosophical Chiropractic Standards, contact the ICA at 800-423-4690.
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR) CHIMES IN ON TROUBLES IN CHIROPRACTIC EDUCATION: In a broadcast that has prompted ICA doctor and student members by the hundreds to contact the ICA offices in outrage, NPR has leveled a devastating critique of chiropractic education in general, basing its story on the recent developments at Life University. Calling the basic tenets of chiropractic into question, and carefully casting grave doubt on the quality of all chiropractic education, NPR reporter Kathy Lohr's story has added to the growing tidal wave of collateral damage that has resulted from the Council on Chiropractic Education's (CCE) decision to deny re-accreditation to Life University's chiropractic program. First aired on July 27th, this story continues to echo across the nation, raising serious concerns about the role public broadcasting seems to be playing in the anti-competitive media blitz that has targeted chiropractic. On the heels of the PBS attack on chiropractic, the NPR story appears to seek to add to consumer concerns about chiropractic safety and quality. ICA HAS CONTACTED NPR ISSUING BOTH A PROTEST AND DEMAND FOR THE CHANCE TO ADD SOME BALANCE TO THEIR REPORTING. To hear this alarming broadcast for yourself, go to http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/segment_display.cfm?segID=147373. STAND BY FOR MORE ON THIS IMPORTANT MEDIA SITUATION.
MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG LEGISLATION FAILED TO PASS ONCE MORE ON WEDNESDAY, prompting most Washington observers to conclude that the chances for such legislation in this Congress are all but dead. THIS IS GOOD NEWS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CONCERNS OVER THE MASSIVE WINDFALL SUCH A BENEFIT WOULD BRING TO THE NATION'S DRUG COMPANIES, as well as the public health consequences of the avalanche of new prescriptions such a benefit would unleash. With half of all emergency room admissions for Medicare beneficiaries related to prescription drugs, with the average senior citizen already with seven or more prescriptions, the growing wave of drug re-calls and major concerns about drug company profiteering, the delay in mandating new drug benefits is undoubtedly the best public policy. ICA CONTINUES TO PROMOTE H.R. 2284, THE MEDICARE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2002, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DRUG DEBATE, AND THE LIST OF CO-SPONSORS CONTINUES TO GROW. This bill would expand the list of chiropractic services under both Medicare and Medicaid to include exams and x-rays in the context of the drug debate. For information on this important bill, see ICA's website at www.chiropractic.org.
DATES TO REMEMBER: "Chiropractic, Pediatrics and Pregnancy", with Pediatrics Diplomate Dr. Lora Tanis, September 7-8, Cleveland, Ohio; 12th Annual Conference on Chiropractic Pediatrics, New Orleans, LA, November 22-24, 2002; Certification in Chiropractic Spinal Trauma (CCST) program kickoff, January 18-19, 2003, with Dr. Dan Murphy, Las Vegas, Nevada.
For More Information, Contact the International Chiropractors Association, a Worldwide Community of the Most Successful Chiropractors on Earth at chiro@chiropractic.org or visit the ICA website at www.chiropractic.org.
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