NBCE Opposes Senate Bill 1955

GREELEY, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2006--The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) has expressed its strong opposition to Senate Bill 1955.

According to the NBCE Board of Directors, passage of S.1955 would create an atmosphere in which the public would face severe obstacles when seeking chiropractic care. Also known as the "Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act," S.1955 would preempt state insurance laws and allow employers to eliminate or place caps on chiropractic benefits, require higher deductibles or require pre-authorization by a medical doctor prior to receiving chiropractic care. The bill would allow employers to deny chiropractic care, along with all alternative health care treatments, even where state-enacted mandates allow those benefits.

“Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act”

All state licensing authorities within the United States recognize chiropractic as a primary health care profession distinct from medicine. In 1998, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 42.1 percent of the U.S. population had sought some form of non-traditional medical care, most commonly chiropractic. Those visits surpassed the number of visits to traditional medical physicians.

As of the fall term 2005, there are more than 10,000 students in chiropractic colleges in the United States. The curriculum of a student in chiropractic college is equivalent to that of a student of medicine, except chiropractic requires more hours of x-ray and diagnosis. Those chiropractic colleges are accredited by the same agency as the schools of medicine -- the U.S. Department of Education.

In addition, chiropractic students must pass exams produced by an independent licensing agency prior to receiving a license to practice. The NBCE produces examinations used to satisfy certification and licensure requirements in all 50 states. Students of chiropractic must pass practical exams that demonstrate their readiness to practice. The NBCE Part IV Practical Exam is required or accepted by 47 states.

The NBCE Board of Directors also points out the harmful effects that passage of the bill could have on the economy. If passed, S.1955 would cause a decline in numbers of patients seeking chiropractic. Those patients would then be forced to increase their usage of pharmaceuticals to alleviate symptoms that chiropractors could have eliminated without drugs. The loss in business caused by S.1955 could create vast numbers of chiropractors unable to repay their student loans.

Headquartered in Greeley, Colo., the NBCE is the international testing organization for the chiropractic profession. Established in 1963, the NBCE develops, administers and scores standardized examinations for candidates seeking chiropractic licensure throughout the United States and in several foreign countries.

For more information, please contact Joanne Monath, Director of Professional Relations and Communications, at jmonath@nbce.org or 970-356-9100, extension 119.