One-up "printable" edition - CCA Journal magazine

cca in action
CCA Works To Protect Scope Of Practice
CCA Wins Retraction
from BCE and Reverses RHB
The BCE’s retraction of chiropractic scope limitation letter
and the RHB’s retraction of its DC x-ray enforcement practice
- at CCA’s urging – makes reimbursement that otherwise
would have been denied possible as well as upholds
for all doctors of chiropractic their scope of practice and
their patients to right to access chiropractic care.
CCA Wins Retraction of
DC Scope-Limiting BCE Letter
CCA won retraction of a 2004 letter penned by then-state
Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ (BCE) staff that misrepresented
Section 302 of the BCE regulations relating to chiropractic
scope of practice. The BCE has posted to its website
a notice stating the letter does not represent BCE policy.
The April 8, 2004, letter surfaced during CCA’s recent successful
advocacy to have the State Compensation Insurance
Fund reverse its policy prohibiting referrals to doctors
of chiropractic for any post-operative treatment regardless
of the circumstances. It was sent to SCIF in response to a
request for clarification of the BCE’s interpretation of Section
302. The BCE’s letter incorrectly stated:
• “…during most, if not all, chiropractic office visits manual
manipulation should be provided to the patient.”
• “For other conditions (i.e. post-surgical rehabilitation of
knee), manual manipulation will not be incorporated into
the treatment program at any point. This is perceived by
the Board as being a violation of the scope of chiropractic
practice.”
This is an important victory of the chiropractic profession.
If third-parties restrict your services using the BCE letter as
a basis, direct those third parties to the BCE website.
CCA thanks the BCE members for recognizing the impediments
the BCE letter could have on patient access to chiropractic
care and for its swift response to correct the situation.
CCA Reverses
RHB DC X-ray Limitation
Moving swiftly, CCA prevailed successfully on the state Radiologic
Health Branch (RHB) to reverse its enforcement
practice of prohibiting certain x-rays to be taken by doctors
of chiropractic.
Two members contacted CCA becasuse they were told by
RHB inspectors that doctors of chiropractic were not permitted
to take chest x-rays as they were outside the chiropractic
scope of practice; one was cited. CCA enlisted the
assistance of CCA member Cliff Tao, DC, DACBR, a CCArecommended
member of the RHB Radiologic Technology
Certification Committee, to educate RHB officials on the
chiropractic scope of practice. Given Dr. Tao’s credibility
and knowledge, the RHB reversed its enforcement practice
and rescinded the one member’s citation.
As doctors know, doctors of chiropractic are permitted to
take patient x-rays for diagnostic purposes without limitation.
Section 302 (a)(6) of the chiropractic regulations
states “…a duly licensed chiropractor may make use of X-
ray and thermography equipment for the purposes of diagnosis
but not for the purposes of treatment.”
CCA members who have been cited or told by the RHB that
they cannot take chest or other patient x-rays are urged to
contact Bill Howe at CCA.
CCA thanks Dr. Tao for his quick and professional assistance
in resolving the situation with the RHB and the RHB for its
DC enforcement practice reversal.
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