ICA News Release
National Conference on Chiropractic in Medicare to be held in Washington, D.C.
A national conference focusing on the future of chiropractic in the federal Medicare program will be hosted by the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) in Washington, DC on Thursday, April 24, 2008, with all organizations within the chiropractic profession invited to participate. The objectives of this day-long, Medicare forum will be to focus the attention of the chiropractic profession on this struggling but vital program, and foster a positive dialogue on how chiropractic’s vital role in Medicare can be strengthened. Taking the place of the traditional ICA Legislative Work Day, this conference will seek to incorporate the broadest possible representation from within the profession, in a spirit of collective problem solving equal to the challenges and demands of the complex Medicare issue. “ICA is seeking to use its pre-planned dates and program to support a greater outreach on the Medicare issue, and to incorporate those other organizations that have recently started to organize to build a common effort on the key issues facing the profession,” said ICA President Dr. John K. Maltby. “We believe that this is vital to our future and the right thing to do.”
This intensive one-day event will involve representatives of numerous chiropractic organizations, senior members of the US House and Senate, spokespeople from national seniors’ organizations and representatives of allied health care professions facing similar challenges in the Medicare program. “By April 2008, the Congressional legislative agenda will be largely on hold, with political attention heavily focused on the race for President in both parties and the November general elections,” said ICA Legislative Committee Co-Chair Dr. Michael S. McLean. “Because of its pivotal role in the 2008 campaigns for all federal offices, ICA believes that this is a most opportune time to hold a focused discussion on the host of issues critical to chiropractic and chiropractic patients in Medicare, and on the health of that massive program, in general. ICA hopes that this historic session will help craft a profession-wide awareness of the urgent need for Medicare reform, and of chiropractic’s unique and positive role in helping the nation’s seniors.”
ICA has invited senior members of the Finance Committee of the US Senate and the US House Committee on Ways and Means, the congressional committees with jurisdiction over the Medicare program, representatives of the key Presidential candidates to offer their respective predictions and reform concepts for Medicare, as well as answer specific questions on chiropractic’s Medicare role. ICA has also invited representatives of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to present their insights on Medicare’s future, and how we can cooperate to strengthen patients’ rights and choices, as well as the general viability of the program.
The program will include panels on Chiropractic’s Practice Challenges in Medicare, Chiropractic’s Political Challenges in Medicare, and an all-important panel discussion on coordinating a collective chiropractic response on Medicare challenges and opportunities.
“ICA will also be inviting the legislative committees of every state and national chiropractic organization in the country to a special forum on the morning of April 24th at which the mechanics of political action and communications coordination will be discussed, along with other cooperative initiatives that are vital to success on the Medicare issue, as well as other national political and legislative issues,” said ICA Legislative Committee Co-Chair Dr. Michael S. McLean.
“ICA hopes that this unique conference will assist in bringing the entire chiropractic profession together in a discussion that will result in consensus on what needs to be done and how the important work on Medicare is to be accomplished,” said ICA President Dr. John K. Maltby. “Everyone in the profession is not only welcome at this conference, they are needed and wanted, because we understand that it will take all of us, working in an historic collective effort, to secure for chiropractic the role it deserves in caring for our senior citizens.”
Additional details and registration information will be made available on ICA’s website at www.chiropractic.org. The April 24th event will be held at the Washington Court Hotel, conveniently located near Capitol Hill at 525 New Jersey Avenue, NW Washington, DC.
Washington Court Hotel
525 New Jersey Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001
202-628-2100
ICA Contact: Coralee Van Egmond, DC — 1-800-423-4690
planetc1.com-news @ 8:37 pm | Article ID: 1203050282
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