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Proposed legislation integrates chiropractic physicians into public health service
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A newly proposed bill, H.R. 2851, in the U.S. House of Representatives calls for more incorporation of doctors of chiropractic into the United States official delivery and research networks, according to a press release.
“Chiropractic physicians already serve our nation’s active-duty military and veterans with distinction. H.R. 3851 will allow [doctors of chiropractic’s] to join forces with other health care providers in the fight against diseases, poor health conditions and other threats during both non-emergency and emergency periods for our country,” American Chiropractic Association President Anthony Hamm, DC, FACO, said in the release.
The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, would require the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) to include chiropractic physicians in the Regular Corps and Ready Reserve Corps. It would also require the president, with advice from the surgeon general and the HHS Secretary, to appoint at least six chiropractic physicians to the Commissioned Corps. To date, no chiropractic physicians have been appointed to serve on the corps, according to the release.
Currently, the USPHS includes more than 6,000 public health professionals who deliver care, as well promote public health, disease prevention programs and the advancement of public health science, all over the nation. The Commissioned Corp, which is one of the nation’s seven uniformed services, works in federal government agencies and programs, while officers of the Corps deliver care at various community health centers and to U.S. Coast Guard members, according to the release.
“A top priority of the American Chiropractic Association has always been to increase access to and utilization of chiropractic services available through the federal government. The services of chiropractic physicians will be a tremendous value to the Public Health Service’s Commissioned Corps and enacting this legislation will be another important milestone in the mission to fully integrate chiropractic care into the nation’s health care delivery system,” Hamm said in the release.