I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7157 

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 

NOVEMBER 16, 2018 

Mr. PAULSEN 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Chiropractic Patients’ 

5 Freedom of Choice Act of 2018’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 

2 It is the purpose of this Act to expand recognition 

3 and coverage of a doctor of chiropractic as a ‘‘physician’’ 

4 under the Medicare program in connection with the per5 formance of any function or action, including current serv6 ice of ‘‘manual manipulation of the spine to correct a sub7 luxation as demonstrated to exist’’, as is legally authorized 

8 by the State in which such doctor performs such function 

9 or action. 

10 SEC. 3. PROVIDING MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR ALL PHYSI11 CIANS’ SERVICES FURNISHED BY DOCTORS 

12 OF CHIROPRACTIC WITHIN THE SCOPE OF 

13 THEIR LICENSE. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(r) of the Social Se15 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)) is amended by striking 

16 ‘‘a chiropractor who is licensed as such by the State (or 

17 in a State which does not license chiropractors as such, 

18 is legally authorized to perform the services of a chiro19 practor in the jurisdiction in which he performs such serv20 ices), and who meets uniform minimum standards promul21 gated by the Secretary, but only for the purpose of sec22 tions 1861(s)(1) and 1861(s)(2)(A) and only with respect 

23 to treatment by means of manual manipulation of the 

24 spine (to correct a subluxation) which he is legally author25 ized to perform by the State or jurisdiction in which such 

26 treatment is provided’’ and inserting ‘‘a doctor of chiroVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:44 Nov 20, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7157.IH H7157

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1 practic who is licensed as a doctor of chiropractic or a 

2 chiropractor by the State in which the function or action 

3 is performed and whose license provides legal authoriza4 tion to perform such function or action in such State or 

5 in the jurisdiction in which the function or action is per6 formed’’. 

7 (b) CERTAIN COVERAGE LIMITS.—Section 1833(aa) 

8 of the Social Security Act is amended by adding at the 

9 end the following: 

10 ‘‘(11) LIMITATION ON PAYMENT.—Notwith11 standing any other provision of this part, in the case 

12 of services of a chiropractor described in section 

13 1861(r)(5) whose pattern of billing for the most re14 cent previous period for which data is available is 

15 determined under paragraph (1) to be aberrant com16 pared to peers, payment may be made under this 

17 part only if such services are treatment by means of 

18 manual manipulation of the spine.’’. 

Æ 


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