Ready for some political news? Congress gave chiropractic a big boost this year by describing the profession in legislation as a “key benefit” of the nation’s military personnel.
The recognition came in the text of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which not only lauded chiropractic care for the military as “high-quality,” but also indicated that chiropractors aren’t receiving the compensation they deserve.
So if you’re a political junkie, here’s the chiropractic blurb from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services report:
“The committee understands that for more than a decade, the Department of Defense has provided high-quality chiropractic health care services to Active Duty military personnel at military treatment facilities throughout the world. Today, chiropractic health care continues to be a key benefit for the men and women of the Armed Force as a result of increased incidences of musculoskeletal injuries sustained in combat. However, the committee is concerned by disparities in pay and job classifications that have resulted in chiropractors receiving lower wage rates than health care providers with either comparable or less training, skill sets, and health care responsibilities for patients in military treatment facilities. There-fore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study and submit the findings to the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Armed Services by April 1, 2013, on the wage rates for chiropractors with-in the Department of Defense as compared to health care providers with either comparable or less training, skill sets, licensure and certification requirements, and health care responsibilities.”
Interesting? We thought so.