WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on the belief that the expansion
of scope for non-physician providers, including chiropractors, prevents
patients from receiving the quality of care that they expect and deserve, the
American Osteopathic Association (AOA) opposes changes in veterans'
chiropractic policy proposed before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
    "American citizens have standards and expectations for their primary care
physicians.  Based on the education and clinical training of chiropractors,
compared to osteopathic and allopathic physicians, the plan at hand is a
misrepresentation of care for veterans," says AOA President Donald Krpan, D.O.
"While the AOA believes healthcare access for veterans in underserved areas
should be increased, it believes the proposals under consideration today
should be terminated because they eliminate steps crucial to the physician-
patient relationship and jeopardize patient health."
    Today, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee reviews draft language to
implement the Veterans Health Administration Chiropractic Policy Directive of
May 5, 2000.  Dr. Krpan expressed the AOA's opposition to the proposal and the
following provisions:
    1. Direct access, without referral requirements, to chiropractic doctors
       at all medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    "Direct access to chiropractic therapy, without the input of osteopathic
or allopathic physicians, eliminates the important physician-patient process
of medical history review, condition evaluation, and treatment plan.  Access
to chiropractic services should be governed by the same rules that apply to
other services (such as physical and speech therapy), as these services should
always be part of a treatment plan, not a sole treatment plan."

    2. Full scope of practice of chiropractic health services, to include as
       an absolute minimum, care for neuromusculoskeletal conditions typical
       of those affecting all age groups within the eligible veteran's
       populations serviced by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    "Doctors of chiropractic are not are not fully-licensed physicians and
therefore do not have the necessary medical knowledge or clinical training to
be given a 'full scope of practice' in the care of musculoskeletal and
neurological conditions.  Although many conditions are treatable via
osteopathic manipulation or chiropractic treatment, treatment should be
prescribed by an osteopathic or allopathic physician after the patient has
been thoroughly examined and evaluated."

    3. Allowance for doctors of chiropractic to act as referring primary care
       physicians in the Department of Veterans Affairs' medical facilities
       that are in areas designated as medically underserved.

    "Since doctors of chiropractic receive training limited to chiropractic
techniques and treatments rather than the equivalent training of osteopathic
and allopathic physicians, chiropractors should not be classified as 'primary
care physicians' under any circumstances.  We strongly oppose expansion of the
scope of practice for non-physician providers and defend this position on the
basis of the stark differences in education and post-graduate training that
exist between chiropractors and osteopathic and allopathic physicians."

    The AOA represents 45,000 osteopathic physicians, promotes public health,
encourages scientific research and is the accrediting agency for all
osteopathic medical schools and health care facilities.

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