CALL OR EMAIL YOUR STATE SENATOR TODAY – ASK THEM TO OPPOSE CHIROPRACTORS’ SCOPE EXPANSION BILLS: ASSEMBLY BILL 260 SENATE BILL 232 Despite opposition from 22 organizations representing physicians, nurses, physician assistants, hospitals, the WIAA, insurers and others – and support from only one (the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association) – AB 260 is expected to pass the full Assembly on Wednesday, June 21. Once passed by the Assembly, AB 260 will move to the State Senate for consideration – and it is critically important for physicians to let Senators know their opposition before the Senate makes their decision about how to proceed. To find your State Senator’s office contact information, type in your home address under “Find my Legislators” (right-hand side of this website: http://legis.wisconsin.gov). Please do not delay – sending an email will take you no more than 2 minutes. 

What do AB 260/SB 232 do? Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) and Sen. Frank Lasee (R-DePere) have introduced legislation that would dramatically expand the current scope of practice for chiropractors in Wisconsin. These bills would allow Wisconsin chiropractors to conduct pre-participation physical exams for studentathletes (high school, technical colleges and 2-year UW colleges) and require that the WIAA, Wisconsin technical colleges or 2-year UW campuses to accept pre-participation exams conducted by “certified” chiropractors. The Chiropractic Exam Board is exclusively authorized to set the criteria for a chiropractor to be “certified” – there are no criteria or parameters specified in the bill. In short, comprehensive pre-participation physical exams involve examination and assessment of the musculoskeletal structures as well as an athlete’s heart and lungs, vision, neurological (concussion history), mental health and more – areas in which chiropractors have little or no training. These bills put student-athletes at risk, and represent a significant and unnecessary expansion of chiropractors’ scope. * * * * Also included in these bills, but already largely decided at the Federal level -- the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets criteria by which health providers may qualify as a certified medical examiner and conduct FMCSA driver exams. The FMCSA authorizes chiropractors to qualify as medical examiners if they meet FMCSA standards, but leaves to states the final authorization. These bills would allow Wisconsin chiropractors to become FMCSA medical examiners if they meet FMCSA’s standards.