As the legislative session reaches the final weeks things change on a regular basis and very quickly. The status of a bill, or provisions of a bill, can change very quickly, and sometimes on an hourly basis. We do the best we can to provide you the most current information possible.

There are 2 bills that are our main priority right now, and we are watching other bills as well. The two that require you and/or your patients to take action are listed below. Please take the time to review this information and make calls to your Representatives.

2SSB 5597-Contracts with chiropractors

Please Take Action on YOUR Chiropractic Bill!

On March 31st, 2SSB 5597 was moved out of the House Appropriations Committee during executive session. Language was added to clarify that reimbursement for chiropractic services delegated to other employees is required only when those delegated services are medically necessary. In addition, all state employee health plans, including the Uniform Medical Plan operated by the Health Care Authority, are made subject to the contract and reimbursement provisions of the bill.

Our bill is currently in House Rules and should be eligible for a vote by all House Members after this week. Now is a very critical time for you AND your patients to be calling your House of Representatives members and tell them to support this bill! We are in the final 3 weeks of session and everything counts!

• This bill is about continuous care for the patient in a chiropractic clinic.
• This bill will allow a patient to see all providers in the same clinic as long as they are operating within the appropriate standards of care, services are medically necessary, and the provider is following the rules of the insurance carrier.
• Benefits are already limited to 12 visits, on average. Your 12 visits are not going to increase costs to a health plan, or an insurer.

SSB 5930-Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Costs and Access.

Please take action to protect a patient's right to choose their health care provider and protect your right to compete in an insurance dominated health care market.

This is the bill that made one plan available for purchase that would have made the "every category of provider" law and health insurance mandated benefits (i.e. mammograms, diabetes coverage and others) an option. The amendment that made this an option was removed in the House Health Care Committee with a largely partisan fight by the Republicans. As always, we owe a great deal of gratitude to Rep. Tom Campbell, DC, for his work with the Chair of the Committee, Rep. Eileen Cody, to assure that the amendment was removed. The Republicans all made comment and accused the provider communities of not being willing to give any on an effort to sell an affordable health plan – they just don't understand that by eliminating your ability to provide care in all plans they are eliminating competition, eliminating a more cost-effective approach, and offering a less invasive option.

You and your patients should call your Representatives to tell them to

• Support SSB 5930 as passed out of House Health Care; vote NO to ANY amendments that allow one plan to make your services an option.
• Do not allow insurers direct health care to physicians only.
• Do not allow insurers only cover invasive, drug based approaches when treating your conditions
• Do not allow insurers to cover, without question, less effective and more costly services to treating your covered condition? Chiropractic saves money.

Brief History of the ECOP:

• Passed by the legislature in 1993.
• Insurers sued the State and fought all the way to the US Supreme Court.
• US Supreme Court agreed with decision of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that ECOP is NOT a mandated benefit.
• In 2000, insurers were directed to comply with the law, directing carriers to have a network of providers available for patients to choose from to treat covered conditions.^*

^* Even with this law, the benefit limits for services offered by non-medical providers is extremely limited and tightly managed simply because of the personal bias of the insurer decision-makers. DON'T let the legislature take any part of this law away! Make your voice heard now.