The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, signed by President Trump in late March as the U.S. government faced the latest threat of a temporary shutdown, includes a provision requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to expand the availability of chiropractic services at two or more medical centers in each of the 21 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) no later than Dec. 31, 2019 and at 50 percent or more of all medical centers in each VISN by Dec. 31, 2021.
The $1.3 trillion omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 1625) also expands chiropractic scope of practice within the VA courtesy of an important code change. The legislation amends the Veterans Benefits title of the U.S. Code to include "chiropractic services" in the definition of both medical services and rehabilitative services, while "chiropractic examination and services" is added to the definition of preventative health services.
Chiropractic could have achieved an even bigger victory within VA Health if not for last-minute changes to the legislation. Veterans Choice reforms were originally slated for inclusion in the omnibus appropriations bill and would have allowed certain veterans (those who do not live close to a VA medical center, face challenges in reaching a center, would have to wait more than 30 days for an appointment at one, etc.) direct access to health care practitioners, including doctors of chiropractic. However, the reforms never made it into the final bill.
Editor's Note: This is already shaping up as a good year for chiropractic in the Veterans Health Administration and Department of Defense. In March, we reported on the passage of the Jobs for Our Heroes Act (S.B. 1393), which makes DCs employed by the VA eligible to perform commercial vehicle medical exams. And as reported in our April issue, the Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act (H.R. 4973), introduced in February and currently under review by the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel, would give military retirees, their dependents and survivors access to chiropractic care services and benefits within the DoD's TRICARE program. Stay tuned!
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