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Dr. Squires, center, with Dr. Ray Tuck, ACA chairman and Dr John Gentile past chairman and chair of ACA legislative committee
Squires awarded national leadership award by chiropractic peers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. Lewis Squires of Lewis Family Chiropractic, Scottville, was presented the Outstanding Legislative Leadership Award by the American Chiropractic Association Wednesday. Squires, along with over 500 other chiropractic physicians and supporters, was in the nation’s capitol this week as part of the National Chiropractic Leadership Conference.
While in Washington, chiropractic supporters urged their elected officials to enact federal legislation that would increase patient access to chiropractic services. Most notably, participants promoted the Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act (H.R. 103), which would phase-in chiropractic services at additional Veterans Administration (VA) major medical facilities across the country and codify chiropractic as a standard benefit for veterans. Currently, only 67 out of just more than 150 U.S. VA medical facilities offer chiropractic services.
The use of chiropractic in the VA has risen steeply since chiropractic was first made available in 2004. Studies have shown that musculoskeletal ailments such as back pain are some of the most common conditions that veterans suffer from when returning from combat duty abroad. In addition, surveys show overuse and abuse of prescription pain medications is as prevalent among veterans as it is in the general population, making it even more important that the VA offer non-drug, noninvasive treatments to manage pain.
Along with increasing chiropractic access for veterans, chiropractors also urged support for:
• H.R. 1378, bipartisan legislation that would amend the Public Health Service Act to designate that doctors of chiropractic are eligible to compete in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program;
• H.R. 302, the Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act, legislation that would ensure that sports health professionals who contract with a team are covered by their medical liability insurance while traveling across state lines; and
• H.R. 372, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act, which would increase competition in health insurance markets and lower prices for consumers.
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