June 2006

WCA applauds Senate defeat of SB 1955

Chiropractors fought hard against unfair bill

After vigorous lobbying by numerous professional and consumer health care groups, including the chiropractic profession, the US Senate voted down the controversial bill that would have allowed insurance companies to offer health plans without including state mandates, including chiropractic benefits. The bill, SB 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability (HIMMA) Act, was opposed by the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), the International Chiropractors Association, the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations, and the American Chiropractic Association.

Writing about the bill in an editorial for The Chiropractic Journal last month, Terry A. Rondberg, DC, president of the WCA, warned: "If passed, millions of Americans will lose health insurance coverage for the chiropractic services they receive from the chiropractors in your state." He urged chiropractors around the country to contact their Senators to oppose the bill. It's unknown how many calls, faxes and e‑mails the Senate received from DCs, but Dr. Rondberg said he was convinced the response was a strong one. "I'm sure our profession made its voice heard loud and clear on this issue."

After hearing of the defeat of the Republican‑backed measure,  Rondberg said that the WCA applauded the decision of the Senate to reject the bill. "There is a desperate need in this country to meet the challenge of ensuring health care to our nation's uninsured, but this flawed bill was not the answer," he stated, adding that the Senate bill 2510 is a much more equitable solution.

SB 1955 was killed when a motion to invoke cloture on the Committee amendment was voted down by a vote of 55‑43. Cloture is a procedure by which the Senate votes to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, thereby overcoming a filibuster. Under the cloture rule, the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30 additional hours, but only by vote of three‑fifths of the full Senate, or 60 votes.