As the largest purchaser of managed care
and the largest health payer in the U.S.,
Medicare covers more than 43 million
Americans. The Association of Chiropractic
Colleges Postgraduate Subcommittee has
compiled information for doctors in the
field, addressing concerns outlined in
the 2005 Office of the Inspector General
(OIG) report.
Medicare was first adopted in 1965 with
Part A-Hospital and Part B-Medical coverage,
both administered by HCFA (now
CMS). Chiropractic wasn’t included
until 1972. Two additional parts have
also been added to the plan: Part C-Managed
Care and Part D-Prescription
Drugs. Chiropractic works under Parts B
and C, as appropriate.
While the Social Security Administration
funds Part A, funding for Part B is supported
by the federal government and is always
at risk of being revoked (i.e. due to continued
improper documentation). With all
carriers typically following the lead of
Medicare, such a revocation could result
in catastrophic damage to chiropractors.
According to the OIG, 94 percent of
claims submitted by chiropractors are
missing required elements in their
Medicare documentation. A rallying of
the chiropractic profession to remedy
this problem is crucial to maintaining
providership privileges and chiropractic’s
position in the health community.
For more information on proper Medicare
documentation, visit: www.palmer.
edu/news2.aspx?id=4522