That language was provided to the chiropractic representatives less than a day before the bill was scheduled for a vote in the House. Many chiropractors saw that as just another delaying tactic. Those issues were addressed and proven decades ago. It is time to act to secure direct access to chiropractic care, employ DCs as professional doctor level caregivers in VHA facilities and accept the powerful contribution chiropractic has to make to the health and well-being of all people. There was support by some members of Congress for direct access to VA patients.
Chiropractors are a highly trained and licensed professional health care workforce.
It is time to put VA health care on a par with other government health care programs and recognize chiropractic as a vital component of our health care system. In fact, we said that a year ago in our Millennium Health Care Bill. These are technical corrections to that bill. A year ago, we asked the VA to develop a chiropractic plan within 90 days to give chiropractic services to our veterans. The VA did not do this.