Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Chiropractic Patients’ Freedom of Choice Act of 2018”.
Chiropractic Patients’ Freedom of Choice Act of 2018
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage for all physicians’ services furnished by doctors of chiropractic within the scope of their license, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Statement of purpose
It is the purpose of this Act to expand recognition and coverage of a doctor of chiropractic as a “physician” under the Medicare program in connection with the performance of any function or action, including current service of “manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation as demonstrated to exist”, as is legally authorized by the State in which such doctor performs such function or action.
Sec. 3 Providing Medicare coverage for all physicians’ services furnished by doctors of chiropractic within the scope of their license
In general— Section 1861(r) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)) is amended by striking “a chiropractor who is licensed as such by the State (or in a State which does not license chiropractors as such, is legally authorized to perform the services of a chiropractor in the jurisdiction in which he performs such services), and who meets uniform minimum standards promulgated by the Secretary, but only for the purpose of sections 1861(s)(1) and 1861(s)(2)(A) and only with respect to treatment by means of manual manipulation of the spine (to correct a subluxation) which he is legally authorized to perform by the State or jurisdiction in which such treatment is provided” and inserting “a doctor of chiropractic who is licensed as a doctor of chiropractic or a chiropractor by the State in which the function or action is performed and whose license provides legal authorization to perform such function or action in such State or in the jurisdiction in which the function or action is performed”.
Certain coverage limits— Section 1833(aa) of the Social Security Act is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(11) Limitation on payment—Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, in the case of services of a chiropractor described in section 1861(r)(5) whose pattern of billing for the most recent previous period for which data is available is determined under paragraph (1) to be aberrant compared to peers, payment may be made under this part only if such services are treatment by means of manual manipulation of the spine.”