I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2654 
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 
APRIL 19, 2021 
Mr. HIGGINS of New York (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Missouri, Mr. 
FITZPATRICK, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. ADERHOLT, 
Mrs. AXNE, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. VAN DREW, Ms. SCANLON, 
Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. BACON, Mr. ROGERS of 
Alabama, Miss RICE of New York, Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
SCHRADER, and Ms. PINGREE) 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 de-
termined 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 li-
cense, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Chiropractic Medicare 
Coverage Modernization Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) In 1972, coverage was established under the 
Medicare program for beneficiaries to receive chiro-
practic care. 
(2) Unfortunately, the antiquated statute re-
stricts beneficiaries to one service in a chiropractic 
clinic and Medicare chiropractic coverage has not 
kept up with private sector coverage and other fed-
eral health delivery systems. 
(3) Today, due to positive evidence-based out-
comes and cost effectiveness of the services provided 
by doctors of chiropractic, private coverage for chiro-
practic services has evolved and State licensure for 
chiropractors has advanced to meet patient needs 
and health outcomes. 
(4) This Act would bring Medicare chiropractic 
coverage more in line with that provided with the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of De-
fense, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Pro-
gram, and private health insurance coverage. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to ex-
pand recognition and coverage of a doctor of chiropractic 
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as a ‘‘physician’’ under the Medicare program in connec-
tion with the performance of any function or action, in-
cluding current service of ‘‘manual manipulation of the 
spine to correct a subluxation’’, as is legally authorized 
by the State in which such doctor performs such function 
or action. 
SEC. 3. PROVIDING MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR ALL PHYSI-
CIANS’ SERVICES FURNISHED BY DOCTORS 
OF CHIROPRACTIC WITHIN THE SCOPE OF 
THEIR LICENSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(r)(5) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)(5)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘a chiropractor who is licensed as such by the State 
(or in a State which does not license chiropractors as such, 
is legally authorized to perform the services of a chiro-
practor in the jurisdiction in which he performs such serv-
ices), and who meets uniform minimum standards promul-
gated by the Secretary, but only for the purpose of sec-
tions 1861(s)(1) and 1861(s)(2)(A) and only with respect 
to treatment by means of manual manipulation of the 
spine (to correct a subluxation) which he is legally author-
ized to perform by the State or jurisdiction in which such 
treatment is provided’’ and inserting ‘‘a doctor of chiro-
practic who is licensed as a doctor of chiropractic or a 
chiropractor by the State in which the function or action 
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is performed and whose license provides legal authoriza-
tion to perform such function or action in such State or 
in the jurisdiction in which the function or action is per-
formed’’. 
(b) CERTAIN COVERAGE LIMITS.—Section 1833 of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(ee) LIMITATION ON PAYMENT OF SERVICES PRO-
VIDED BY CERTAIN DOCTORS OF CHIROPRACTIC.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of this part, in the case 
of services of a doctor of chiropractic described in section 
1861(r)(5), payment may only be made under this part 
for such services if— 
‘‘(1) such services are furnished by a doctor of 
chiropractic who is verified once, by a process de-
signed by the Secretary, as attending an educational 
documentation webinar, or other similar electronic 
product, designed by the Secretary or an updated 
modified version of such webinar, as designed by the 
Secretary; or 
‘‘(2) such services are treatment by means of 
manual manipulation of the spine to correct a sub-
luxation.’’. 
Æ 
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