August 2003

CBS: Living up to its name

by Dr. Terry A. Rondberg

When I first started the Chiropractic Benefit Services malpractice program more than a decade ago, I knew I wanted it to do two things: provide BENEFITS for subluxation‑based doctors, and SERVE the profession as a whole. That's how I came up with the name.

We've all worked hard over the years to make sure the program lives up to that name. One way we do this is to use a large portion of income generated by CBS for programs, services, and products that will help chiropractors and chiropractic.

Recently, CBS helped launch an exciting new campaign -- one that we hope will result in more than a million dollars in federally funded research into chiropractic and wellness. Expenses for consultants and lobbyists will run more than $60,000, but in the end, we hope to be able to have several chiropractic colleges share the money in order to do the kind of subluxation‑based research we need to "prove" to the world that chiropractic works!

We already have enough data on chiropractic and low‑back problems or pain relief. What we need is confirmation of the impact of subluxations on the nerve system and overall health. We know that having subluxations corrected can help the body reach optimum function. Now we need the documented scientific research that will let the rest of the world know it too. CBS is putting its money to work getting funding for that research!

Speaking of research, CBS is also a major funder of an exciting long‑term research project in New Zealand, the country that gave us the famous "New Zealand Commission Report" back in 1980. This new project is exploring the link between subluxations and the human immune system. Can you imagine the impact this research will have it if shows that adjustments can help strengthen and restore the immune system in all people? Incredible! And CBS is the only chiropractic company financing this study.

CBS isn't involved just in research, of course.

Right now, it's helping pay for the lobbying needed to pass HR 2560, the "Chiropractic Medicare Freedom and Benefit Protection Act." This is going to be another expensive campaign since I'm sure we'll encounter some strong resistance from chiropractic opponents who don't want us to gain full and equal status under the Medicare System.

Since this bill will, in effect, give doctors of chiropractic the EXCLUSIVE domain over subluxation correction, those who want to degrade chiropractors to a second‑tier medical therapy -- such as medical doctors and physical therapists ‑‑ will no doubt fight us. But, with the support of the members of the leaders of the Chiropractic Coalition ‑‑ the ICA, WCA and FSCO -- and helped by the funding from CBS, we have a good change of prevailing.

Such work by CBS is nothing new.

One of its first efforts was to fight against the Mercy guidelines. Although rejected by nearly every chiropractic organization in the country (including the Congress on Chiropractic State Organizations, the organization that initially sponsored the conference that developed them), the document was distributed to insurance companies. Of course, they loved the restrictive guidelines and quickly began using them to deny chiropractic claims.

Almost immediately, CBS started pumping money into the campaign to combat the negative effects of Mercy, and into supporting the Council on Chiropractic Practice's effort to develop evidence‑based chiropractic guidelines. CBS was a major financial contributor to the CCP, and provided funds to help distribute the final CCP Guidelines to all doctors of chiropractic in the U.S. and Canada, to insurance companies, legislators, and health care officials.

Unfortunately -- but not unexpectedly -- the work to deny Mercy isn't done, for now many of its original developers are back to work on "Son of Mercy," which could very well do just as much damage as its ill‑conceived predecessor. Not if CBS has anything to say about it. CBS will continue to fund programs to make sure we are "Mercy‑free!"

CBS is also one of the primary financial resources for the World Chiropractic Alliance's pro‑chiropractic public education campaigns. Over the years, CBS has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for press releases and other public information material about the safety of chiropractic. We've made sure the media and the public have access to the truth about chiropractic adjustments and stroke, as well as the fact that chiropractic is NOT limited to low‑back pain.

Public relations work is expensive. A single press release distributed to the Associated Press and major news outlets can cost close to $1,000 -- and each time the profession is attacked, we need to respond quickly and strongly. CBS helps pay to make certain this vital information gets out to the people who may become your patients tomorrow.

CBS also helped cover the cost to publish and distribute patient education books such as "Chiropractic: Compassion and Expectation," which I wrote with Timothy Feuling. The book help patients (as well as doctors, staff members, attorneys and others involved in chiropractic) clearly understand the precise nature of chiropractic, and what each patient can and cannot expect from chiropractic care. Thanks to funding from CBS, we were able to offer this book free of charge via Internet download. The same is true of the companion book, "Under the Influence of Modern Medicine," which provides documented scientific evidence of the risks of many drugs medical procedures.

As you can see, CBS has a long and distinguished record of providing BENEFITS and SERVICES to chiropractic. I chose the right name for it. And I hope you will consider choosing CBS so we can provide benefits and services to you -- and to the profession we all value so much.