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American Chiropractic Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill to Accelerate Military Access of Chiropractic Measure also calls for study of extending chiropractic care to reservists, dependents and retirees

(Arlington, Va. - June 3, 2005) Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (HR 1815) which requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a plan that ensures chiropractic care is available to all members of the armed services through military treatment facilities. In addition, HR 1815 would require the Pentagon to conduct a study on the feasibility, health benefits and potential cost savings of providing chiropractic care for eligible active duty dependents, along with members of the reserves, retirees and their dependents.

Currently, only 42 medical treatment facilities in the military health care system, all within the continental United States, offer chiropractic services. There remain approximately 300,000 military members who are without access to chiropractic treatment. The bill passed by the House would require the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan for providing chiropractic health care services to all members of the uniformed members, as required by Public Law 106-398.

"All of our troops deserve the very best health care available, especially chiropractic care," said ACA President Donald J. Krippendorf, DC, also a U.S. Navy veteran. "To have the benefit of chiropractic care available to some, but not all, of our men and women in uniform is a great disservice to those charged with protecting this nation. I want to thank Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter and Representatives John McHugh, Mike Rogers, Jeb Bradley and others who helped advance this important legislation."
Dr. Krippendorf added, "Reservists, serving at home and abroad to ensure the safety of their fellow citizens; dependents, who keep the spirits of our fighting force alive; and retirees, who have dedicated their entire life to serving our country, all merit the invaluable benefit of chiropractic treatment."

HR 1815 stipulates that the Secretary of Defense submit a report, including the action plan and the feasibility study on chiropractic care in the military, to the Senate Committee on Armed Services and to the House Committee on Armed Services no later than March 31, 2006.

"I am proud that ACA spearheaded the advocacy efforts in support of each of the chiropractic provisions included in HR 1815," Krippendorf said. "The ACA sincerely hopes the House passed language included in HR 1815 will become the next chiropractic related provision to be enacted into law and that this important legislation - which builds and expands on the ACA's previous work with Congress - will further enhance the availability of chiropractic care to our nation's heroes."

Furthermore, Krippendorf said, it is important that doctors of chiropractic and their patients continue to enlist the support of their elected officials for HR 999, introduced by Representative Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and backed by the ACA and Association of Chiropractic Colleges. ACA's John Falardeau, vice president of government relations, explained that the "passage of HR 999 is the only vehicle that would enact the dependent and retiree chiropractic benefit; therefore, it is vitally important that we call our representatives in the U.S. House and urge them to join as co-sponsors of the legislation." A sample letter can be found within the ACA's Legislative Action Center: http://econstituent.votenet.com/ (re3sl4ze3qgdvp2v0ojl4055)/index.aspx/aca/home.asp x.

For more information on this topic, contact John Falardeau at (800) 986-4636 or jfalardeau@amerchiro.org.

For more information:
Felicity Feather Clancy
Vice President, Communications
ffeather@amerchiro.org
phone: (703) 276-8800, ext. 241 For more information:
Angela Kargus
Communications and Public Relations Manager
akargus@amerchiro.org
phone: (703) 276-8800. ext 240

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