Governmental Affairs Report

by Mo McCullough

This has been a legislative session unlike any I’ve been through. That’s because this is the worse shape the state budget has been in since I’ve been lobbying. The General Assembly and the Governor are working overtime trying to find enough cuts to balance the budget, and everything is on the table. By the time you receive this, the session could be over, and we’ll know the final outcome. All I know right now is it won’t be pretty. Problem is, next year is projected to be worse.

On a different, but equally important, subject are the upcoming elections. There will be approximately 50 new faces in the Capitol come 2011. That means it’s time to get active in your districts. Get to know the candidates and where they stand on chiropractic issues, and try to build a positive relationship with them. This will be extremely important to the future of chiropractic in Missouri.

You can also help the MSCA and MSCA PAC remain effective in their efforts to advance and protect chiropractic in Missouri. How? By joining, or keeping up your memberships, in both and by attending all sponsored functions. The PAC auction held at the summer convention on Friday, July 30, 2010, at beautiful Branson is the biggest fundraiser of the year for PAC. It is fun as well as important; so, please, plan to attend or get involved in some way.

We need to stay on top and keep active; so, please, join in and help this great profession thrive.

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.

Find Out Who Your Legislator Is, Click Here

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