Chiropractic News

Important Notice: ICD-9 Updates Take Effect Oct. 1!

September 21, 2009, 9:14 am

The annual review and revision of ICD-9 codes has been completed.  Updated lists of new, revised and invalid ICD-9 codes that are effective as of Oct. 1, 2009 are now available.  While many of the changes will not affect the diagnosis codes that doctors of chiropractic report, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with these recent updates to ensure that your practice is up to date.  As always, for any insurance- and coding-related questions, please contact ACA’s Insurance Relations department at insinfo@acatoday.org.

From ACA's Department of Government Relations

September 21, 2009, 9:12 am

Obama Continues to Press Case for National Reform as Next Action Step Shifts to the Senate

Following his address to the nation and Joint Session of Congress on September 9, President Obama has participated in a series of “campaign style” speeches and events where he has sought to build momentum for the passage of a comprehensive health reform bill.  Even as some political and media observers opine that the President is “overexposed” on this issue, and has yet to make his specific priorities for reform clear, the White House is gearing up to showcase the President on virtually every major TV network this weekend – where he is expected to make separate appearances on a variety of TV news and talk shows in an effort to further advance the reform effort.  Whether these appearances will have a materially positive impact on the advancement of the reform issue can’t be determined at present, however, one thing is clear – the President’s call for substantive reform has to some extent been detracted by media attention that has been focused onto a series of collateral events that have occurred.  An intemperate and controversial remark by Representative Joe Wilson(R-SC) during the President’s speech before Congress and Wilson’s subsequent “rebuke” by the U.S. House dominated much of the media coverage of the President this past week to the detriment of the reform issue.  Most recently, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s remarks that, in his opinion, much of the opposition to the President and his policies is “racially motivated” – seems to be kicking off fresh round of  media stories focused more on issues of racial divide rather than health care, again diluting the message that the White House seeks to deliver on the issue.  While the President and media deal with these distractions, the next significant steps in the evolution of the health reform battle are poised to take place in the U.S. Senate, where Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is moving forward to mark up his version of health reform legislation next week.