On January 19, 2011, Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) introduced H. R. 329, requiring the VA to phase-in availability of chiropractic care at all major VA medical centers within the next three years. Specifically, the bill would require 75 VA major medical centers have a chiropractor on duty before the end of 2012 and all major health care facilities to have a chiropractor on duty before the end of 2014.
All of America’s veterans should have equal access to this important health care benefit. Veterans want, need and deserve access to chiropractic care, and doctors of chiropractic must be fully integrated into the veterans’ health care system. Passage of H.R. 329 is a major step in accomplishing this goal.
H.R. 329 has been referred to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Urge your local member of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 329 immediately!
Contact your Arkansas representatives at the links below: A sample email is provided below the email links. Feel free to copy and paste as is, or modify. Be sure to sign your name at the bottom.
Mark Pryor - http://pryor.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm
John Boozman - http://boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me
Rick Crawford - http://crawford.house.gov/Contact/
Tim Griffin - https://griffin.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Steve Womack - http://womack.house.gov/Contact/
Mike Ross - http://ross.house.gov/Contact/
Email subject: Support Expanded Access to Chiropractic in the VA - H.R. 329
In recent years, after decades of inaction and neglect, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) finally began the long-overdue process of placing doctors of chiropractic (DCs) on staff at VA hospitals, in order to provide veterans with access to chiropractic care. The process of integrating chiropractic care in the VA system was initiated after Congress enacted a series of statutes, that included specific directives to hire doctors of chiropractic and place them at VA health care facilities. Although a chiropractic benefit has theoretically been available within the VA system for many years, Congress took action in this policy area when it became apparent that VA had failed to take any reasonable action to actually provide veterans with chiropractic care.
As a result of the above referenced congressional directives, including recommendations issued by a congressionally-mandated advisory committee, the VA currently provides chiropractic care at 32 major VA treatment facilities within the U.S. Despite the above progress, the overwhelming majority of America’s eligible veterans continue to be denied access to chiropractic care, because the VA has failed to take any action to provide chiropractic care at approximately 120 additional major VA treatment facilities that comprise the major sites where VA care is offered.
Shockingly, the above disparity has been allowed to continue, despite important data demonstrating a critical need within the VA for the specific type of health care doctors of chiropractic specialize in providing. Recent Department of Veterans Affairs data (Analysis of VA Health Care Utilization Among U.S. Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Veterans, January 2009) cite “diseases of Musculoskeletal System/Connective System,” such as back pain, as the number one ailment of Iraq/Afghanistan veterans accessing VA treatment.
Recently, Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) introduced H. R. 329, requiring the VA to phase-in availability of chiropractic care at all major VA medical centers within the next three years. Specifically, the bill would require 75 VA major medical centers have a chiropractor on duty before the end of 2012 and all major health care facilities to have a chiropractor on duty before the end of 2014.
Every eligible veteran should have unimpeded access through the VA to chiropractic care. Therefore, I am urging you to contact Congressman Filner and cosponsor this legislation, HR 329.
Sincerely,
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