FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2003 GRASSLEY, ACA-BACKED MEDICARE DEMONSTRATION SET FOR APPROVAL BY CONGRESS Nationwide Grassroots Campaign Boosts "Grassley's Chiropractic Demo" and Thwarts Anti-Chiropractic Lobbying Blitz by Organized Medicine Lobby and Other Special Interests ACA-Backed Increase in Medicare Physician Reimbursement Also Set for Passage WASHINGTON, DC - As part of legislation overhauling the 38-year old Medicare program, now on track for final passage by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Congress will authorize a Medicare Chiropractic Demonstration Project designed to test expanded access to chiropractic services for America's seniors. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), the chief sponsor of the "Chiropractic Demo," was successful in turning back strong opposition to the provision from the organized medicine lobby and other special interest groups. Also included in the Medicare bill, and backed by Senator Grassley and the American Chiropractic Association, is a provision aimed at ensuring that beneficiaries will continue to have access to chiropractors and other physicians by replacing a 4.5% physician payment cut -- scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2004, if the bill does not pass -- with two years of payment increases. "This is chiropractic's biggest win ever on Capitol Hill and we have Senator Chuck Grassley to thank for it," said ACA Chairman George B. McClelland, DC. "Senator Grassley's chiropractic provision marks the beginning of the end of three decades of Medicare's discrimination against doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic patients. Every doctor of chiropractic and chiropractic patient in Iowa and across America should know that it was Senator Grassley who took on and defeated organized medicine and other special interest lobbyists seeking to stop this day from happening." The current Medicare program imposes an arbitrary limit on the covered services that can be offered by America's 60,000 doctors of chiropractic and sought by millions of older chiropractic patients. Under current law, a chiropractor may only provide Medicare beneficiaries with a single covered service (manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation) despite the fact that they are licensed in all 50 states to provide additional services that are currently covered under Medicare, including x-rays and other diagnostic tests and physiotherapy services. The ACA has long contended that Medicare's arbitrary limit on chiropractic services is harmful to patients and costly to taxpayers. The chiropractic demonstration project, as sponsored by Senator Grassley and to be administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will assess how greater freedom of choice for consumers and additional competition among care providers will benefit the health of Medicare beneficiaries and provide for more efficient use of Medicare resources. The four-site, two-year demonstration, will likely have a profound impact in rural and medically underserved areas where beneficiaries will no longer be forced to visit a second or third provider to receive the full range of necessary services. "Senator Grassley fought hard for the principle that Medicare beneficiaries should have the freedom to choose a doctor of chiropractic to provide the care they want and need," added Dr. McClelland. "As always, Chuck Grassley has done the right thing for Iowa and the right thing for America." In addition to Senator Grassley, the ACA recognized the support of the following lawmakers for the Medicare Chiropractic Demonstration Project: Orrin Hatch (UT), Max Baucus (MT), Tom Daschle (SD), Kent Conrad (ND), Ben Nelson (NE), Chuck Hagel (NE), Norm Colemen (MN) and George Allen (VA). Also, Representatives Jim Ramstad (MN), Earl Pomeroy (ND), Jim Nussle (IA), Clay Shaw (FL), Phil English (PA), J.D. Hayworth (AZ), Leonard Boswell (IA) Collin Peterson (CA), Ken Lucas (KY), Rodney Alexander (LA), Steve Israel (NY), Virgil Goode (VA), Bob Filner (CA), Paul Gilmore (OH), Rob Portman, (OH) Sam Graves (MO), Ed Royce (CA) Chris Shays (CT), Lloyd Doggett (TX), Bill Janklow (SD), Bob Goodlatte (VA), Sherwood Boehlert (NY) and Nancy Johnson (CT). ACA Leaders also recognized the active involvement of thousands of ACA members around the country who participated in a months-long grassroots lobbying effort beginning with ACA's National Chiropractic Legislative Conference in March 2003, as well as the efforts of individual friends of the chiropractic profession, like Mr. Kent Greenawalt, president and CEO of Foot-Levelers, Inc. Also, a number of national and state chiropractic organizations played important roles in this Capitol Hill victory, including the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, the Student American Chiropractic Association, the National Association of Chiropractic Attorneys, the Iowa Chiropractic Society, the Connecticut Chiropractic Association, the Chiropractic Association of Louisiana, the Florida Chiropractic Association, the Utah Chiropractic Physicians Association and other member organizations of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations. For more information, including the text of Medicare Chiropractic Demonstartion Project, visit www.acatoday.com and the ACA's Legislative Action Center.