Feb. 19, Arlington, VA– In the United States,
the economic stimulus package put forth by the Obama administration contains
significant consideration for health care, especially in the areas of
electronic patient records and wellness and prevention programs. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA)
has identified opportunities for chiropractic within this stimulus
package.
The bill
would provide $20 billion to implement computerized health record
systems for public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and would
pay private physicians to do the same. Individual physicians would receive up
to $65,000 for establishing an electronic record system. Physicians not using
electronic health records by 2016 may face reduced Medicare payments.
The bill defines “physician” using Social Security
Act Sec. 1861 (r), which means that DCs
would be included in the electronic health record incentive program. The
details and parameters for this program are still being developed and much of
the money for the incentive program will not be appropriated until 2010, but
the ACA is pleased that chiropractors are being included in this process.
“The inclusion of doctors of chiropractic in
federal incentive programs regarding electronic health records has been a
central focal point of the ACA-led Patients Access to Responsible Care Alliance
(PARCA), a coalition comprised of non-MD/DO providers,” said Dr. Glenn Manceaux,
president of the ACA. “We have been lobbying for this inclusion, and
right now, we are included in the program.”
The other areas in which there are significant
opportunities for chiropractic are prevention and wellness programs, as well as
comparative effectiveness research, which focuses on finding the best
procedures and practices for specific conditions or ailments. A total of $1billion is being set aside for
prevention and wellness initiatives and a total of $1 billion will be allotted for
comparative effectiveness research. The
ACA considers both of these areas as very important for the inclusion of chiropractic
in the American health care reform process.
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