Whereas chiropractic is a major health discipline which originated in the United States, the development of which was begun by Dr. D.D. Palmer and his son Dr. B.J. Palmer o September 18, 1895;

Whereas chiropractic is the third largest doctoral level health care profession, behind medicine and dentistry;

Whereas approximately 28,000,000 Americans visits a doctor of chiropractic every year;

Whereas research has demonstrated chiropractic care to be safe and effective;

Whereas, while many State licensing Boards authorize the practice of spinal manipulation by physicians and other providers, doctors of chiropractic are the only providers educated and trained specifically to perform chiropractic adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations;

Whereas chiropractic is recognized as an integral part of the American health care system through most managed health care and insurance programs;

Whereas in 1991 an estimated 85 percent of employers with health coverage plans provided chiropractic coverage, and by 1996, 43 States required health plans to provide some form of chiropractic coverage;

Whereas in 1972 Congress included doctors of chiropractic in the definition of physician under medicare, permitting them to provide beneficiaries with chiropractic care; and

Whereas, under traditional fee-for-service medicare, beneficiaries are given direct access to doctors of chiropractic;

Now, Therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that it is the sense of the Congress that the Federal Government should make the benefits of chiropractic care available as a covered benefit in any Federal employees health plan, consistent with the following basic principles:

(1) Chiropractic care includes diagnosis, correction, and management of either vertebral subluxations or neuromusculoskeletal conditions performed by a licensed doctor of chiropractic, and should not include the use of drugs or surgery.

(2) Doctors of chiropractic are the only providers educated and trained to perform chiropractic adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations, and as such, chiropractic adjustments should be provided only by a licensed doctor of chiropractic.

(3) The scope of chiropractic practice should be based on State law.

(4) Like beneficiaries under Medicare, Federal employees should have direct access to chiropractic care without the requirement of a referral.