Assigned to HEALTH                                                                                                                      FOR COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Forty-seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1154

chiropractic care; standards.

Purpose

            Requires chiropractic services to be covered by certain insurance contracts in conformance with recognized standards in chiropractic as provided by the statutory chiropractic scope of practice as determined by chiropractors who are licensed in this state and as defined by recognized standards in chiropractic and generally accepted by the chiropractic profession.

Background

            According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a center under the National Institutes of Health, chiropractic health care focuses on the relationship between the body’s structure and its function.  Chiropractors evaluate each individual patient, and then develop a treatment plan based on that patient’s specific needs.  State statute stipulates that licensed chiropractors in Arizona may perform limited physical and clinical examinations, conduct certain laboratory procedures, make spinal or other skeletal adjustments and diagnosis and correct skeletal disorders.  In addition, chiropractors are prohibited from prescribing or administering medicine or drugs, performing surgery or practicing obstetrics.

            Under current laws, if a contract of a health and medical service corporation or a disability or group disability insurance contract provides reimbursement for a service that is within the scope of practice for a chiropractor, an individual covered under the contract may choose to have the service provided by either a chiropractor or physician.  The insurers may reimburse the providers directly.  Health care service organizations are also required to provide coverage for chiropractic services provided by networked chiropractors subject to certain limitations.

            There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Requires, for individuals covered under the following contracts, that chiropractic services be covered in conformance with recognized standards in chiropractic as provided in the statutory scope of practice for chiropractors as determined by chiropractors who are licensed in this state and as defined by recognized standards in chiropractic and generally accepted by the chiropractic profession, subject to the existing statutory requirements for the contracts:

a) hospital and medical service corporations.

b) disability insurance.

c) group disability insurance.

2. Requires health care service organizations to cover chiropractic services provided by network chiropractors in conformance with recognized standards in chiropractic as provided in the statutory scope of practice for chiropractors as determined by chiropractors who are licensed in this state and as defined by recognized standards in chiropractic and generally accepted by the chiropractic profession.

3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

January 26, 2006

BKL/AH/jas