ICA News

April 21, 2005 703-528-5000

Department of Defense Liaison with New Chiropractic Benefits Committee Addresses Chiropractic Coalition Legislative Day Gathering

As part of the wide ranging program for the Chiropractic Coalition’s April 14, 2005 Legislative Day in Washington, DC, Lt. Colonel Bernard Lambe spoke to participants about the history and status of chiropractic in the US military. Col. Lambe is the assistant to Admiral Richard A. Mayo, deputy director of Tricare Management Activity. Col. Lambe spoke about the mission of the Chiropractic Health Benefits Advisory Committee which was created by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. He reported that this new committee was “…charged with reviewing and evaluating implementation of the Chiropractic Health Care benefit and providing the Secretary of Defense and Congress with recommendations concerning the future of the benefit.” The legislation creating the new committee specified that it should be comprised to include at least three doctors of chiropractic. ICA Board Member Dr. Michael S. McLean has been appointed by the Secretary of Defense to serve on this vital advisory body.

Col. Lamb gave a detailed history of the role of chiropractic in the Department of Defense (DOD) health programs, noting that in 1994, Congress authorized a DOD demonstration project at 10 sites, for chiropractic services to active duty military members. The demonstration was eventually expanded to 13 sites. The National Defense Authorization Act, for Fiscal Year 2001, authorized DOD to implement a permanent Chiropractic Health Care benefit for Active Duty members at designated Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs). Legislation included a Chiropractic Oversight Advisory Committee (OAC) to assist with determining the appropriate methodology for implementing the benefit. The OAC determined that the appropriate ratio of Doctors of Chiropractic to Active Duty members at a location would be based upon the number of chiropractic visits by Active Duty members during the demonstration project and the particular mission of the installation (for example: jumping out of airplanes, driving a tank, desk job, etc.) .

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Over the past 4 years, the Army, Navy and Air Force have established 42 Chiropractic sites. In 2004, this translated to nearly 200,000 (actually 196,141) visits provided by 59 chiropractors. The benefit is authorized for active duty members at designated MTFs. Active duty members may also access the benefit by referral from their primary care manager to one of the designated sites. Expanding the Chiropractic Health Care benefit to cover military family members and military retirees would require a statutory change.

Col. Lambe also spoke about the DOD’s efforts to educate service personnel about the availability of chiropractic benefits, stating that, “feedback from the Services indicates that the benefit has been aggressively marketed at the designated MTFs, but there is an opportunity to do more. As a result, the DOD is initiating a marketing/communications plan that will focus on education and benefit awareness. Target audiences will include active duty members and military providers. This will be discussed in more detail in the newly formed Chiropractic Health Benefits Advisory Committee.”

“We are very excited about the prospects for the new Chiropractic Health Benefits Advisory Committee and look forward to a positive dialogue,” said Dr. McLean. “I am personally mindful that permanence for chiropractic in the military is best secured through commissioning of DCs.  ICA remains firmly committed to military commissions for doctors of chiropractic in all branches of the US Armed Forces, and sees this new committee as an opportunity to push for this status,” Dr. McLean added.

See the chart below for all of the military facilities at which chiropractic services are now being provided.

Chiropractic Sites

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