MSCA Legislative Update

November 11, 2010

Mo McCullough

I have been putting off this report following the 2010 general elections hoping to have more information on the shake up in the Capitol. Several moves have been made by the majority and the minority parties but some important decisions are still pending. I decided not to wait any longer.

As I’m sure you all know, a republican/conservative tsunami raced through the United States in the November elections, and Missouri was right in its path. The political landscape in Missouri definitely changed, and that change may be felt for years to come. Let me just run a few numbers by you and explain how they might affect the inner workings and hidden mechanisms of the Missouri General Assembly and the lobbying efforts of the MSCA.

In the House, the republicans gained 18 seats bringing their majority total to 106. On the flipside the Democrats lost 16 seats leaving them only 57 members. This puts the Republicans just 3 votes shy of being veto proof; meaning, by turning only 3 democratic votes they can override any Governor’s veto. Democrats in the Senate didn’t fair any better. The Republicans won 3 new seats for a total of 26 while the Democrats lost 3 and now hold just 8 seats. The Republicans in the Senate are veto proof.

Without going into the sometimes ugly, behind the scenes activities that took place, I will simply list the new House and Senate leadership teams.

            House Majority: Speaker of the House – Steve Tilley; Speaker Pro Tem – Shane Schoeller; Majority Floor Leader – Tim Jones; Assistant Floor Leader – Jeanie Riddle; Majority Whip – Jason Smith.
            House Minority: Minority Leader – Mike Talboy; Assistant Minority Leader – Tishaura Jones; Whip – Mike Colona.                       

            Senate Majority: President Pro Tem – Rob Mayer; Majority Floor Leader – Tom Dempsey; Assistant Floor Leader – Jack Goodman; Caucus Whip – Mike Parsons; Caucus Chair – Bill Stouffer.
            Senate Minority: Minority Leader – Victor Callahan, Assistant Leader – Jolie Justus; Caucus Chair – Tim Green.

I was hoping to have more information on the committee setup in both the House and Senate; but, so far, no firm decisions have been made in either chamber. Committee chairmanships as well as leadership are extremely influential and important to how things are run in the Capitol. And, with all new leadership in both chambers and 91 new House and Senate members, it will be very interesting to see what it all looks like when the 96th General Assembly convenes on January 5, 2011.

What does all this mean to the MSCA? The changes in both House and Senate leadership are a positive for us. Steve Tilley, Shane Schoeller and Tim Jones have all been sponsors of our legislation in the past. Steve Tilley was responsible for the passage of our bill expanding the definition of the practice of chiropractic in Missouri. Plus, Mike Talboy and Mike Colona are both proven friends of chiropractic. Also, MSCA PAC supported many of the newly elected Reps. On the Senate side, we have strong friends in Tom Dempsey and Mile Parsons who have also been bill sponsors for us. And, the MSCA PAC supported all of the new incoming Senators. We will have to wait and see how we fair with the committee assignments, but we have a strong footing to work from in 2011 and beyond.

If you or any docs in your district have any kind of relationship with any of the members in leadership, please let me know. If not, try to make it a point to get to know these as well as other members of the general assembly. I will let you know when the committee assignments come out so that we can pinpoint those of most importance to us in 2011.

Mo McCullough

MSCA and PAC Working Full Time

Times are tough, and we are all feeling the crunch. When things get tight with costs going up and revenues lagging, we are often forced to re-evaluate our priorities. With this belt tightening comes the very legitimate questions: “Why should I continue my membership in the MSCA and the MSCA PAC? Why should they be a priority?” Let me try to help you in your decision making process.

The MSCA and the MSCA PAC are the only organizations working full time to advance and protect chiropractic in Missouri. Without these two vital organizations you would not have 26 mandated visits; you would not be portal of entry providers with direct access to patients; you would not have a lien law; you would not have a chiropractor and a voice on the Missouri Board of Health; you would not have a practice act that allows you to practice what you are taught in chiropractic college; you would not have a prompt pay law; you would not be able to charge reasonable fees to copy and mail medical records, and the list goes on. On the negative side, you would have PTs and naturopaths adjusting, manipulating and stealing your patients; you would have MDs determining what you can and can’t do and what you can and can’t call yourself; you would have insurance carriers successfully discriminating against you whenever they wanted; you would have the very survival of the chiropractic profession in jeopardy.

Looking to the future, we are working on several fronts to move chiropractic forward in Missouri. Legislatively, we are fighting for pay parity, reduced co-pay and co-insurance fees, improved workers compensation coverage, inclusion in MoHealthNet and more. Partnering with AMI, we are working to expand chiropractic coverage in the Missouri Consolidated Health Plan. Our insurance and legal committees are working to improve relationships with all the insurance carriers through direct negotiations and legal actions. Our public relations committee and office staff are actively seeking ways to improve the image of chiropractic in Missouri. For example, we recently were a major sponsor of Tour of Missouri and received tremendous publicity statewide.

Yes, there is more; but I think this gives you some idea of the importance of the MSCA and MSCA PAC. So when the time comes to set your priorities, please remember this: The MSCA and PAC are the ONLY organizations fighting daily to advance and protect the chiropractic profession in Missouri and, without you, they are gone.

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Missouri Statute Search

Current Law

50% Copay Law

DOT Physicals

Insurance
(including Prompt Pay statutes)
RSMo 376.383 and 376.384)

Lien Law
RSMo 430.225

Medical Records, Maintenance & Requirements

Patient Access
RSMo 376.1230

Practice Act
RSMo 331.010

Fees for Medical Records
CLICK HERE