I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2654 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage 

for all physicians’ services furnished by doctors of chiropractic within 

the scope of their license, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 19, 2021 

Mr. HIGGINS of New York (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Missouri, Mr. 

FITZPATRICK, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. ADERHOLT, 

Mrs. AXNE, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. VAN DREW, Ms. SCANLON, 

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. BACON, Mr. ROGERS of 

Alabama, Miss RICE of New York, Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 

SCHRADER, and Ms. PINGREE) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 

the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

Medicare coverage for all physicians’ services furnished 

by doctors of chiropractic within the scope of their license, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Chiropractic Medicare 

3 Coverage Modernization Act of 2021’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) In 1972, coverage was established under the 

7 Medicare program for beneficiaries to receive chiro8 practic care. 

9 (2) Unfortunately, the antiquated statute re10 stricts beneficiaries to one service in a chiropractic 

11 clinic and Medicare chiropractic coverage has not 

12 kept up with private sector coverage and other fed13 eral health delivery systems. 

14 (3) Today, due to positive evidence-based out15 comes and cost effectiveness of the services provided 

16 by doctors of chiropractic, private coverage for chiro17 practic services has evolved and State licensure for 

18 chiropractors has advanced to meet patient needs 

19 and health outcomes. 

20 (4) This Act would bring Medicare chiropractic 

21 coverage more in line with that provided with the 

22 Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of De23 fense, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Pro24 gram, and private health insurance coverage. 

25 (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to ex26 pand recognition and coverage of a doctor of chiropractic 


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1 as a ‘‘physician’’ under the Medicare program in connec2 tion with the performance of any function or action, in3 cluding current service of ‘‘manual manipulation of the 

4 spine to correct a subluxation’’, as is legally authorized 

5 by the State in which such doctor performs such function 

6 or action. 

7 SEC. 3. PROVIDING MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR ALL PHYSI8 CIANS’ SERVICES FURNISHED BY DOCTORS 

9 OF CHIROPRACTIC WITHIN THE SCOPE OF 

10 THEIR LICENSE. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(r)(5) of the Social 

12 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)(5)) is amended by strik13 ing ‘‘a chiropractor who is licensed as such by the State 

14 (or in a State which does not license chiropractors as such, 

15 is legally authorized to perform the services of a chiro16 practor in the jurisdiction in which he performs such serv17 ices), and who meets uniform minimum standards promul18 gated by the Secretary, but only for the purpose of sec19 tions 1861(s)(1) and 1861(s)(2)(A) and only with respect 

20 to treatment by means of manual manipulation of the 

21 spine (to correct a subluxation) which he is legally author22 ized to perform by the State or jurisdiction in which such 

23 treatment is provided’’ and inserting ‘‘a doctor of chiro24 practic who is licensed as a doctor of chiropractic or a 

25 chiropractor by the State in which the function or action 


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1 is performed and whose license provides legal authoriza2 tion to perform such function or action in such State or 

3 in the jurisdiction in which the function or action is per4 formed’’. 

5 (b) CERTAIN COVERAGE LIMITS.—Section 1833 of 

6 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l) is amended by 

7 adding at the end the following new subsection: 

8 ‘‘(ee) LIMITATION ON PAYMENT OF SERVICES PRO9 VIDED BY CERTAIN DOCTORS OF CHIROPRACTIC.—Not10 withstanding any other provision of this part, in the case 

11 of services of a doctor of chiropractic described in section 

12 1861(r)(5), payment may only be made under this part 

13 for such services if— 

14 ‘‘(1) such services are furnished by a doctor of 

15 chiropractic who is verified once, by a process de16 signed by the Secretary, as attending an educational 

17 documentation webinar, or other similar electronic 

18 product, designed by the Secretary or an updated 

19 modified version of such webinar, as designed by the 

20 Secretary; or 

21 ‘‘(2) such services are treatment by means of 

22 manual manipulation of the spine to correct a sub23 luxation.’’. 

Æ 


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