I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 484 

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

provide chiropractic health care services and benefits for certain new 

beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 13, 2009 

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama (for himself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. ADERHOLT, 

Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. LOBIONDO, and Mr. 

PAUL) 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 

and benefits for certain new 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 FOR RETIREES, DE2 PENDENTS, AND SURVIVORS. 

3 (a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than August 31, 

4 2009, the Secretary of Defense shall complete develop5 ment of a plan to provide chiropractic health care services 

6 and benefits, as a permanent part of the TRICARE pro7 gram, for covered beneficiaries. 

8 (b) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—The plan shall require 

9 that a contract entered into under section 1097 of title 

10 10, United States Code, for the delivery of health care 

11 services shall— 

12 (1) include the delivery of chiropractic services; 

13 (2) require that chiropractic services may be 

14 provided only by a doctor of chiropractic; and 

15 (3) provide that a covered beneficiary may se16 lect and have direct access to a doctor of chiro17 practic without referral by another health practi18 tioner. 

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

20 under subsection (a) shall provide for implementation of 

21 the plan to begin no later than January 31, 2010. 

22 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

23 In this Act: 

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

25 (A) includes diagnosis (including by diag26 nostic x-ray tests), evaluation and management, 


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•HR 484 IH

1 and therapeutic services for the treatment of a 

2 patient’s health condition, including neuro3 musculoskeletal conditions and the subluxation 

4 complex, and such other services determined ap5 propriate by the Secretary and as authorized 

6 under State law; and 

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

8 surgery. 

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

10 meaning provided by section 1072(5) of title 10, 

11 United States Code. 

12 (3) The term ‘‘doctor of chiropractic’’ means 

13 only a doctor of chiropractic who is licensed as a 

14 doctor of chiropractic, chiropractic physician, or chi15 ropractor by a State, the District of Columbia, or a 

16 territory or possession of the United States. 

17 (4) The term ‘‘TRICARE program’’ has the 

18 meaning provided by section 1072(7) of title 10, 

19 United States Code. 

Æ 


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