Truck Accident News

Organized Medicine Revives Anti-Chiropractic Legislation

Rep. John Sullivan has reintroduced legislation that would prohibit any individual to be represented as having “equivalent education, skills or training” as that of a medical doctor (MD) or doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO)—a bill which could serve as a direct attack on states recognizing DCs as chiropractic physicians.

HR 2260, The Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act, directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to bring charges against individuals who falsely claim to be medical doctors, and calls on FTC to identify instances where any state public policy has permitted health care providers to “misrepresent” oneself as a medical doctor.

“Given the fact that consumer protection laws and restrictions are already in place, it is clear that this redundant legislation is intended to merely undermine the legitimate education and training of chiropractors and other health care professionals,” says ACA President Dr. Richard G. Brassard. “HR 2260 appears to be working in the best interest of the patient, but clearly its supporters are acting in their own self interest at the expense of consumers.” Commercial fraud and misrepresentation are already prohibited by federal and state laws. Also, it is already illegal for any person to identify themselves as a licensed professional without holding that particular license.

The bill also includes a set of negative survey findings, from 2006, regarding the public’s perception of non-MD health care providers. The survey, commissioned by nine leading medical professional associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association, indicates that 90 percent of patients surveyed said they would prefer a practitioner, who is not a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathic medicine, to make that clear prior to treatment.

Rep. Sullivan introduced nearly identical legislation, HR 5688, in June 2006. ACA believes that HR 2260 is yet another piece in a broader campaign designed to smear the reputations of non-MD health professionals and stifle competition within the health care marketplace.

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