Add your signature to those signing the petition to oppose Senate Bill 1955

All kinds of healthcare providers are banding together to oppose S1955. Social workers, massage therapists, Chiropractic Doctors, and more.
Here is just ONE article online about how Chiropractic doctors view this bill...
http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/2617426.html
"Chiropractors say Senate Bill is Out of Alignment
Chiropractors say Senate Bill is Out of Allignment
Alison Struve


A lot of people choose to visit their chiropractors; sometimes even before their physicians when something's wrong.

But chiropractors say a bill in the U.S. Senate could take away insurance coverage for many of their patients.

The idea behind S.1955 is to make it easier for small businesses to give their employees health insurance.

Instead of going by Wisconsin's mandated benefits, this plan allows small business organizations to pool their resources across state lines, saving them 15- to 30 percent...

But those plans don't have to give employees those guaranteed benefits.

Chiropractors say those mandates make sure patients get the care they need, including diabetes treatment, maternity coverage and chiropractic care.

And they say it would force many of their patients to cut down their care, or pay higher prices.

"We should have the right to choose what kind of care we want for our families," says Jean Gustafson. "If I had to pay cash for chiropractic, it might be difficult to get the level of care I know i need."

Many chiropractic clinics in Northcentral Wisconsin are letting their patients know about the bill and providing form letters to their senators, asking them not to support the bill.

The American Chiropractic Association says people who want more comprehensive coverage will have to pay much higher premiums.

We checked with our Wisconsin Senators: Senator Herb Ohl is still studying the bill and Senator Russ Feingold opposes it."
-----SNIP====================
I AM a small business owner, and I can tell you that if you are a small business owner, or the employee of a small business owner...this bill is nothing but bad for you. My employees and I both oppose this bill, because again, it is bad for business and bad for employees.

If you, after reading about it, agree, please sign your name to our online petition opposing S1955, and, write your representative and congressperson in Washington at
http://www.congress.org

Our petition is found at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?OppS1955

Thank you!

ACOEM Guidelines-another attempt to lock healing within guidelines

ACOEM is the latest in an effort to put metrics and establish guidelines on something, that by its very nature, is not strictly adherent to "rules", i.e. the treatment of healing bodies, or often as not, bodies that seem bent on resisting healing.

For more on what the ACOEM is, here is their webpage:
http://www.acoem.org/


"Risk Management" and "Utilization Review" fans LOVE things like this that want to say that someone should only be treated with certain protocols and only for so long.
It is a cookie cutter approach that wants to treat organic systems in the same way you would run a factory assembly line.

Well, NEWS FLASH, biological systems are by their very NATURE, unique, and do not all adhere to the same methods or rates of healing.

The ACOEM "Bible", if there is one, would be their "guidelines"..
Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines:
Evaluation and Management of Common Health Problems and Functional Recovery in Workers, Second Edition
"The definitive, practical guide to preventing, assessing, and managing occupational health complaints – now revised and updated.

Developed by the ACOEM Committee on Practice Guidelines, this book is the gold standard in effective OEM practice. The new edition of ACOEM’s consensus- and evidence-based guidelines provides essential information, step-by-step guidance and practical aids for the diagnosis, evaluation and management of injured workers in two sections—Foundations and Presenting Complaints. Foundations reviews prevention; general approach to initial assessment and documentation; initial approach to treatment; work-relatedness; cornerstones of disability prevention and management; pain, suffering, and restoration or function; and independent medical exams and consultations. Presenting Complaints include those of the neck and upper back; shoulder; elbow; forearm, wrist and hand; low back; knee; ankle and foot; and eye. There is also a chapter devoted to stress-related conditions."

Pursuant to their attempts to say that they are the ultimate authority in how treatment should be done, they have established what they call their "UTILIZATION MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGEBASE ( http://www.acoem.org/umk/UMK%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf).

I see this as an attempt by penny pinchers and middle managers, to say that one could and should run healthcare like you would run a grocery store. Sorry folks, it ain't that way...it don't work like that (pardon my colloquialisms ).

The point is, do you, as a living, breathing, human being, think for a SECOND that ACOEM or a company doctor, can or should dictate how your doctor decides what is best for you, or how your body is to respond?

I firmly hold that people, people like you and me, honest, hardworking folks, should strongly oppose this attempt to set such draconian limits and schedules on your treatment or healing timeframes.

Write your congresspeople today to oppose middle managers from inserting themselves over your treating doctor!

IS YOUR WORKERS COMP CASE IN TEXAS BEING MISHANDLED?

Injured workers in Texas find themselves fighting against a machine that seems bent on denying them everything from MRIs to benefits.

Insurance carriers have a legal duty to deal with the injured insured worker with "good faith and fair dealing". As a doctor, I see many cases in which there seems to be a complete LACK of good faith and fair dealing.

Injured workers are NOT powerless. There are things you can do if you find yourself being disputed, denied, and otherwise treating improperly.

One is the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" principle. Complain IN WRITING.
Complain in writing to the Texas Department of Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin, and DWC commissioner Albert Betts. Send carbon copies to the Governor (ok...this might not do much good, but it creates a record of your complaint). File a FORMAL COMPLAINT with the Texas Department of Insurance. Also, send a letter of complaint to the carrier themselves.

You may not file a lawsuit against the employer, but you MAY contact an attorney with regard to filing a bad faith lawsuit against particularly egregious or outrageous mishandling of your case by the insurance carrier.

Texas overall, is very friendly to insurance companies in my estimation. But, does that mean you just lay down and take it? I say no.

Also, write letters of complaint to your Senator and Representative both at the State and Federal levels. Complain as loud enough and long enough and to as many people as possible.

Write letters to your media, i.e. to your local newspaper and television station.

We need to get public exposure and investigation into these issues and unless there is a groundswell of demand for reform of these issues, reform in favor of injured workers will not happen.

Hang in there!

~John R. Baker,DC

Texas Mutual Launches Workers' Comp Health Care Network

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2006/03/31/66946.htm
"March 31, 2006
Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced that the Texas Department of Insurance certified its Texas Star Network option on March 29, 2006. The company will begin offering the network option to eligible workers' compensation policyholders with operations in network service areas on April 3.
Eligible employers who choose a policy with the network option will benefit from the network system's focus on occupational medicine. Most will also receive a network premium discount of 12 percent.
Texas Mutual Insurance Company partnered with Concentra to form the Texas Star Network option in response to House Bill 7. The bill, passed by the Texas Legislature last summer, is designed to improve quality of care, control health care costs in the state's workers' compensation system, and help injured workers return to productive employment. One high-profile provision of the bill allows insurance carriers to contract with or establish networks.
A TDI spokesperson said 19 companies have applied for network certification. Texas Star is the first to be certified by TDI.
Injured workers who are covered by Texas Mutual's network and live in a network service area will select their treating doctor from the network's list of occupational health care providers. Texas Star Network case managers will work with injured workers, employers, and health care providers to facilitate appropriate and cost-effective health care and return-to-work.
"On-the-job accidents carry human and monetary costs," said Lisa Corless, Texas Mutual senior vice president of claim and information services. "We have created the Texas Star Network to give us additional tools to help ensure both the availability of quality medical providers and effective cost management by directing injured workers to a specialized network of right providers."
For more information on Texas Mutual Insurance Company or the Texas Star Network option, employers should ask their agent or visit texasmutual.com."