I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 344 

To require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to 

provide chiropractic health care services for certain covered beneficiaries 

as part of the TRICARE program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 8, 2019 

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama (for himself and Mr. LOEBSACK) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to provide chiropractic health care services 

for certain covered beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE 

program. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Chiropractic Health 

5 Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CARE SERVICES FROM THE 

2 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR CERTAIN 

3 COVERED BENEFICIARIES. 

4 (a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than 30 days after 

5 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

6 Defense shall complete development of a plan to provide 

7 chiropractic health care services and benefits for eligible 

8 covered beneficiaries as a permanent part of the TRI9 CARE program. 

10 (b) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—The plan developed under 

11 subsection (a) shall require that a contract entered into 

12 under section 1097 of title 10, United States Code, for 

13 the delivery of health care services shall— 

14 (1) include the delivery of chiropractic services 

15 to eligible covered beneficiaries; 

16 (2) require that chiropractic services may be 

17 provided only by a doctor of chiropractic; and 

18 (3) provide that an eligible covered beneficiary 

19 may select and have direct access to a doctor of 

20 chiropractic without referral by another health prac21 titioner. 

22 (c) IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN.—The plan developed 

23 under subsection (a) shall provide for implementation of 

24 the plan to begin not later than 60 days after the date 

25 on which the plan is completed. 

26 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) The term ‘‘chiropractic services’’— 

2 (A) includes diagnosis (including by diag3 nostic x-ray tests), evaluation and management, 

4 and therapeutic services for the treatment of a 

5 patient’s health condition, including neuromus6 culoskeletal conditions and the subluxation com7 plex, and such other services determined appro8 priate by the Secretary of Defense and as au9 thorized under State law; and 

10 (B) does not include the use of drugs or 

11 surgery. 

12 (2) The term ‘‘covered beneficiary’’ has the 

13 meaning given that term in section 1072(5) of title 

14 10, United States Code. 

15 (3) The term ‘‘eligible covered beneficiary’’ 

16 means a covered beneficiary excluding a dependent 

17 of a member or former member of a uniformed serv18 ice. 

19 (4) The term ‘‘dependent’’ has the meaning 

20 given that term in section 1072(2) of title 10, 

21 United States Code. 

22 (5) The term ‘‘doctor of chiropractic’’ means 

23 only a doctor of chiropractic who is licensed as a 

24 doctor of chiropractic, chiropractic physician, or chiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:14 Jan 19, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H344.IH H344

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1 ropractor by a State, the District of Columbia, or a 

2 territory or possession of the United States. 

3 (6) The term ‘‘TRICARE program’’ has the 

4 meaning given that term in section 1072(7) of title 

5 10, United States Code. 

Æ 


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