CHIROPRACTORS

According to the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, in 2017 to 2018, there were well over 90,000 chiropractors in the US who actively underwent a number of board exams to be state licensed. And as the managed healthcare system learns to embrace chiropractic treatment better, medical practitioners started experiencing rising numbers of malpractice claims. This has resulted in high demand for chiropractic legal aid.

Our Healthcare Legal Team is one of the few that specially caters to the legal and regulatory demands of healthcare providers specializing in this area, including:

• Musculoskeletal chiropractors
• Traditional wellness chiropractors
• Medical institutions that employ chiropractors

Chiropractic Legal Issues

The following are some of the key legal issues that we work on:

• Practice Formations
• Stark and Anti-kickback
• Fee-Splitting
• Employment Legislation
• Corporate and Business Practices and Compliance
• Employment Agreements
• Chiropractic Practice Restrictions
• Group Practice or In Office Ancillary Services (IOAS)

Licensing and Scope of Practice in 50 States

State licensing boards intend to protect public health and welfare and to ensure safe and ethical practice. This is why the chiropractic practice is regulated in all 50 states and in more than 25 countries worldwide. There is wide adaptation in terms of the scope of practice depending on the state or country. Most states in the US only allow spinal manipulation and very few permit various other procedures like electromyography, lab diagnostics, acupuncture, and the new and advanced treatment called Artrotism.

Based on an interview with Michael Schneider, a faculty member of health sciences of the University of Pittsburgh, released by TIME through Time.com:

“Chiropractic was the original holistic medicine in that it focused on treating the whole person, not just the body part that hurt.” “The controversy comes in when chiropractors make claims about treating non-musculoskeletal conditions”—claims he says have little or no scientific basis.

With all this being said, there are a lot of loopholes in terms of the legal and regulatory footprint of chiropractic practice which is why it such issues are meticulously handled by experienced Healthcare Lawyers rather than your General Counsel or CLO.

In Office Ancillary Services (IOAS)

This typically refers to health services group practices, which are being regulated by states and by the federal government itself. Some states, for example, require a non-chiropractic physician to be present when DHS services are being given to patients. On top of that, the practice might have to guarantee that the medical practitioner in the practice spends an average of 75% of their professional hours working through the combined practice.

Just like most professions and businesses, chiropractic practices touch on many sections of the law and finding the right lawyer to help with a chiropractic legal obstacle can be arduous, given the circumstances mentioned above. Cohen Healthcare Law Group is adept at bridging the gap between the law and the dynamic scope of allied health providers to benefit the rapid growth of this comprehensive functional medicine and integrative medicine sector.

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