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 Pennsyl-
vania, 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 imple-
ment a plan to provide chiropractic health care services 
and benefits for certain new beneficiaries as part of 
the TRICARE program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Chiropractic Health 
Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CARE FOR RETIREES, DE-
PENDENTS, AND SURVIVORS. 
(a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than August 31, 
2009, the Secretary of Defense shall complete develop-
ment of a plan to provide chiropractic health care services 
and benefits, as a permanent part of the TRICARE pro-
gram, for covered beneficiaries. 
(b) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—The plan shall require 
that a contract entered into under section 1097 of title 
10, United States Code, for the delivery of health care 
services shall— 
(1) include the delivery of chiropractic services; 
(2) require that chiropractic services may be 
provided only by a doctor of chiropractic; and 
(3) provide that a covered beneficiary may se-
lect and have direct access to a doctor of chiro-
practic without referral by another health practi-
tioner. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN.—The plan developed 
under subsection (a) shall provide for implementation of 
the plan to begin no later than January 31, 2010. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘chiropractic services’’— 
(A) includes diagnosis (including by diag-
nostic x-ray tests), evaluation and management, 
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and therapeutic services for the treatment of a 
patient’s health condition, including neuro-
musculoskeletal conditions and the subluxation 
complex, and such other services determined ap-
propriate by the Secretary and as authorized 
under State law; and 
(B) does not include the use of drugs or 
surgery. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered beneficiary’’ has the 
meaning provided by section 1072(5) of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘doctor of chiropractic’’ means 
only a doctor of chiropractic who is licensed as a 
doctor of chiropractic, chiropractic physician, or chi-
ropractor by a State, the District of Columbia, or a 
territory or possession of the United States. 
(4) The term ‘‘TRICARE program’’ has the 
meaning provided by section 1072(7) of title 10, 
United States Code. 
Æ 
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