Professional Standards For Chiropractors
What kind of education do chiropractors receive?
To be able to get into chiropractor college, you need a four-year college degree that includes physics, biochemistry and most of the general curriculums you would find at any university. Once you've gained admittance to chiropractor college, it's a four-year curriculum, approximately 45 hours. That includes not only basic sciences but clinical sciences. There are rotations in a chiropractic internship where you're actually working actively with patients.
Are there national standards for chiropractors?
In the chiropractor profession there are national standards that you see in the education process. The curriculums for all the chiropractor colleges are determined by the Council of Chiropractor Education to create consistency across the board with all the educational institutions in the profession. During those four years that you're in school, there are four examinations that are held nationwide that fall under the auspices of the National Board of Chiropractor Examiners that you must successfully complete to graduate from chiropractic school.
What's the difference between "straight" and "mixer" chiropractors?
In broad brushstroke terms, there are two different types of chiropractors that are more based on philosophy than anything else. And when De De Palmer first initiated the modern chiropractic profession and only adjusted the spine, there are those chiropractors that only practice adjusting of the spine and they are called straight chiropractors. And then there are chiropractors, under the scope of their state licensure have the legal capacity to employ other natural healing methods, inclusive of modality such as ultrasound, cold laser frequencies, micro-current, taping, therapeutic exercise, etc., that they use in conjunction when they create their own treatment toolbox that includes the traditional straight chiropractic adjusting and those chiropractors that use adjusting and the other natural occurring health care methods are called mixers.
Are chiropractors held to the same privacy laws (HIPAA) as medical doctors?
The chiropractic profession is held to the same confidentiality laws as all primary health care professions, such as HIPAA, etc.
Is chiropractic care covered by insurance?
Chiropractic care is covered by most insurance companies including PPOs and HMOs, and is also covered by Medicare.
What if my insurance doesn't cover chiropractic care?
In circumstances where an insurance company does not cover chiropractic care, most chiropractors are more than happy be able to work with the patient to create payment plan that works for them.
