Sponsors (165)
The bill expands Medicare coverage and provider eligibility for chiropractic care—improving access and aligning coverage with other payers—while raising costs, creating possible care-quality and equity risks, and adding implementation and compliance challenges.
Medicare beneficiaries (especially patients with chronic pain or musculoskeletal conditions) will have expanded access to chiropractic care as Medicare will cover a broader set of chiropractic services allowed under state law.
Medicare beneficiaries and health systems will see fewer coverage gaps and simpler care continuity because Medicare coverage will be more closely aligned with the VA, DoD, FEHB, and many private plans.
Chiropractors and Medicare beneficiaries will likely benefit from increased provider participation and network availability because a broader scope of billable chiropractic services makes Medicare reimbursement more viable for providers.
Taxpayers and the Medicare program will likely face higher costs because expanding covered chiropractic services increases Medicare spending and pressures the trust fund.
Medicare beneficiaries could experience inconsistent, unnecessary, or lower-quality care if broader coverage is implemented without clear, enforced medical-necessity and billing standards.
Medicare beneficiaries and chiropractors may face implementation confusion and inconsistent payment outcomes because eligibility is broadened while payment is conditioned on completing a specific documentation training, risking denial variability across contractors.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Allows Medicare to pay chiropractors for any State-authorized chiropractic function if the chiropractor completes a one-time verification, with an exception for spinal manipulation for subluxation.
Introduced January 16, 2025 by W. Greg Steube · Last progress January 16, 2025
Expands Medicare Part B coverage so a chiropractor may bill Medicare for any function or action that the chiropractor is licensed to perform in the State where the service is provided. Medicare payment is allowed only if the chiropractor either completes a one-time verification (attending an educational webinar or similar electronic product) or the service is the traditional manual spinal manipulation to correct a subluxation.