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American Chiropractic Association Legislative Alert Bulletin
YOUR HELP NEEDED TO PASS FEDERAL LEGISLATION REQUIRING CHIROPRACTIC CARE TO BE MADE AVAILABLE IN VETERANS HEALTH CARE PROGRAM - - - IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REQUESTED...!!!
FROM: ACA Department of Government Relations
DATE: May 31, 2001
BACKGROUND:
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is seeking to advance federal legislation requiring that chiropractic care be made fully available to veterans eligible to receive care under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) health care system. Under the DVA's current and inadequate policy regarding chiropractic, chiropractic care is rarely offered within the DVA, and veterans are routinely denied access to the services of a doctor of chiropractic. For all practical purposes, chiropractic care within the DVA health care system is non-existent. Despite congressional pressure to correct this situation, DVA's anti-chiropractic bureaucracy refuses to take any meaningful action that would provide for expanded access to chiropractic care within the DVA health care system.
As you know, the ACA scored a major victory last year, when federal legislation was passed requiring that chiropractic care be made available within the Department of Defense (DoD) health care system. That legislation is now in the process of being implemented. Building on that important legislative victory, the ACA is now seeking to enact into law, a similar legislative mandate that would apply to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION NEEDED:
You should immediately write your Member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the two U.S. Senators from your state, and urge that Congress pass veterans' health care legislation this year, that would require chiropractic care to be made available within the DVA health care system. You should remind your federal representatives that Congress passed similar legislation (Public Law 106-398, FY 2001 Defense Authorization Act) last year, requiring that chiropractic care be made available to all active duty personnel in the U.S. military health care system. You should urge Members of Congress to pass a DVA chiropractic provision, patterned after the chiropractic provision included in last year's Defense Authorization Bill. In addition to writing you should also call their Washington, D.C. offices and make the same request (You should speak to the legislative staff person that handles veterans legislative issues). Members of Congress may be reached by phone via the Capitol Hill Operator (202) 224-3121. Members of Congress that do not serve on the House or Senate Veterans committees should be asked to write to their colleagues on these committees (where the legislation we need will originate) and urge they take action on this issue. (Note: The DVA legislation we're proposing has not been introduced as a separate bill and thus does not have a specific bill number at this time). If you or your federal representatives have any questions about this issue, please contact the ACA Department of Government Relations at (703) 276-8800. A sample letter to Congress and a list of Members of Congress serving on the DVA committees is also available on the Government Relations section of the ACA's Website - www.acatoday.com. Thank you for your prompt response to this urgent request for grassroots action.
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