Signs Point to Greater Access to Chiropractic for Service Members, Civilian Beneficiaries

 The Department of Defense has conducted several demonstration projects designed to examine the cost and feasibility of chiropractic healthcare services for its beneficiaries. The results of these projects have concluded that it is feasible to implement chiropractic services as part of the military health care benefit, and the resulting patient satisfaction is higher than that seen with traditional medical care. 

Signs Point to Greater Access to Chiropractic for Service Members, Civilian Beneficiaries

Senate Introduces Bill to Expand Chiropractic Access to Military Retirees, National Guard

Senate Introduces Bill to Expand Chiropractic Access to Military Retirees, National Guard

Pentagon to conduct a study on the feasibility of providing chiropractic services to military retirees.

The American Chiropractic Association recently announced that a new bill authorizes funding for a provision directing the Pentagon to conduct a study on the feasibility of providing chiropractic services to military retirees. 
Currently military personnel have no chiropractic insurance benefits. 
Do you think this should be changed?

Legislation Introduced in U.S. Congress to Further Integrate DCs in Military, VA Health Care Systems

Two new bipartisan bills ( how often have we recently heard the word bipartisan?) have been introduced concerning increased integration of chiropractic services into the military system. A House bill would expand access to chiropractic care through inclusion of benefits in the Tricare insurance program to retired military and their families. The Senate bill would expand chiropractic services to all VA treatment facilities.
Do you think these are worthwhile objectives?
Legislation Introduced in U.S. Congress to Further Integrate DCs in Military, VA Health Care Systems

Researchers at the Palmer Chiropractic College were recently awarded a $718,00 research grant form the National Institutes of Health.
The DoD/VA Pain Management Task Force now recommends chiropractic as a Tier 1 treatment within its comprehensive pain-management program. 
This study will find how chiropractic care might be best integrated into existing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical practice guidelines for veterans with a combination of musculoskeletal pain and mental health conditions.
Do you think having better access to chiropractic care will decrease the problem of narcotic dependence and deaths of the veterans?

http://www.chiroeco.com/news/chiro-article.php?id=15582

Inaugural Chiropractic VA Residency Appointees

I have posted about the new US Dept of Veteran's Affairs chiropractic residency program. The first six inaugural selections have been named. These three year hospital-based training programs expand the residents’ ability to collaborate with other healthcare professionals in team care, as trainees learn with and from other healthcare providers during interdisciplinary rotations.
Doctors of chiropractic presently treat veterans at 47 VA clinics around the country.

http://blogs.palmer.edu/news/2014/09/12/san-jose-campus-alumna-among-inaugural-va-residency-appointments/

Former pilot eases Soldiers' pain through chiropractic care

An article on the official U.S. Army website credited the chiropractic clinic at Fort Rucker, Ala. for helping soldiers heal from injuries and discomforts sustained during their "everyday" work week. The base's chiropractic clinic attends to more than 200 active duty personnel a week, and prides itself on delivering timely and effective care. Fort Rucker is the primary flight training base for army aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence.

http://www.army.mil/article/94469/Former_pilot_eases_Soldiers__pain_through___/

Congressional Committee Calls Chiropractic "Key Benefit" Within Department of Defense Health Care System

"Congressional Committee Calls Chiropractic "Key Benefit" Within Department of Defense Health Care System, Urges Pay Equity System". The Congress has been urging the DOD for ten years to integrate chiropractic care into the military and the DOD has unfortunately very slow in doing this adding this benefit for our military. This is another effort by Congress to speed up this process.

Congressional Committee Calls Chiropractic "Key Benefit" Within Department of Defense Health Care System