While it may not seem like it, the chiropractic profession in the U.S. is changing. Some changes are subtle in nature; others are not. Practice Analysis of Chiropractic 2020, produced by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, is the most recent effort to identify those changes.
Cash is king, with over a third (36.3%) of chiropractic cases paid with private pay or cash. Only a quarter (25.4%) are paid through insurance (non-managed care), with Medicare/Medicaid at 14.3% and managed care at 9.3%.
Twenty-eight percent of DCs provide care to our military, a huge jump from 6.7% just five years prior. Almost two-thirds (65%) of doctors focus on wellness and maintenance care. Other popular areas of focus are orthopedics / injuries (39.5%), care of athletes (39.4%), pediatrics (38.8%), rehabilitation (37.9%) and nutritional recommendations (33.3%).
Almost half of DCs (44.1%) read peer-reviewed research at least weekly; 13.7% at least daily. Consequently, almost one-third (30.6%) provide research-based treatment several times daily, and over half (51.1%) do so at least weekly.
For the first time, the analysis provides data on DCs who practice part-time (less than 20 hours a week) and those who do not currently practice. Non-practicing DCs tend to be male (63.8%) and 60 years or older (46%). Part-timers are slightly more likely to be male (52.2%) and 60 years or older (37%). Almost one-fifth of part-timers (18.9%) are homemakers; 16.7% work as faculty members.
Non-practicing doctors tend to be retired (36.7%), with 14.9% working as faculty members of chiropractic and non-chiropractic institutions. Less than one-third of those not practicing (32.2%) have actually left the profession.
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