The GX modifier will signal HCFA that the service is not covered by Medicare and the claim will be denied as a technical denial. HCFA also reports that the new modifier will provide clearer information for secondary payers. When the GX modifier is used with one of the CMT codes, the beneficiary is liable for payment and the chiropractor may bill the patient directly for the manipulation service.
Logan Professor Receives State Teaching Award
Bert Hanicke, DC, a professor of chiropractic science at Logan College of Chiropractic, was honored with the "1998 Missouri Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching." The award was presented by Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan during the governor's conference on higher education in Jefferson City this past December.
Logan President Dr. George Goodman praised Dr. Hanicke at the awards reception: "We're very proud and grateful to have Dr. Hanicke as a member of the Logan College faculty. His outstanding level of knowledge has been an inspiration to three generations of Logan students."
A 1950 graduate of Northwestern College of Chiropractic, Dr. Hanicke has served as a member of Logan's faculty since 1956. He teaches applied kinesiology and acupuncture at Logan.
Solid Gold for Sherman
Dr. Reggie Gold has named Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic the primary beneficiary and executor of his estate, estimated to be more than six million dollars. The money will go into Sherman's endowment trust to provide financial backing and ensure the college's growth.
"Sherman College is my chiropractic home because it teaches and espouses the ideals that I live by," explained Dr. Gold.
Dr. Gold graduated from Palmer School of Chiropractic in 1957. He settled in Spring Valley, New York and began teaching at the Columbia Institute of Chiropractic. When Sherman College was established by Dr. Thom Gelardi in 1973, Dr. Gold joined several other chiropractors in moving to South Carolina to work with Dr. Gelardi.
"Reggie has made countless sacrifices for chiropractic and has always supported Sherman College," said Dr. David Koch, the school's president. "This latest act will ultimately enhance the lives of all who become a part of the Sherman College family.
"Reggie's life speaks for itself," added Dr. Koch. "This estate commitment will create a chiropractic legacy to a life spent in devotion to the chiropractic principle."
Manual Medicine Italiano
While visiting Bologna, Italy as part of a 20th anniversary trip to Europe from their Saint Louis, Missouri home, Jeffrey Citrin, DC, and his wife encountered a medical doctor with a manual manipulation practice.
Dr. Citrin noted that the doctor from Bologna doesn't know about Activator, but does use hammers and mallets to deliver an adjustment. Dr. Citrin called the devices "interesting."
Dr. Weil Receives Honorary Degree
Andrew Weil, MD, one of the biggest proponents of the alternative care movement, was honored by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy last month with an honorary doctorate.
At the same time, the college announced plans to open the Center for Integrative Therapies in Pharmaceutical Care, becoming the first college of pharmacy in the nation to do so. The center will evaluate alternative therapies and test herbal remedies for their effectiveness against certain ailments.
Weil, 56, maintains one of the most popular health-related websites in the United States (www.askdrweil.com). In 1997, he was named one of the 25 most influential people of the year by Time magazine.
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