May 2009
 
 

 

Principle, Passion and Presidents

On Thursday night, May 15th, there will be a special and  historic event. The ICA will be hosting a first ever philosophy evening with 4 past ICA presidents and the incoming ICA President, Dr. Gary Walsemann. This event will be held after the events of The Chiropractic Summit at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC.  

The event is open to all and is free of charge. Students, doctors and guests of the Summit are invited to attend this event.

Speakers include ICA past presidents, Dr. Sid Williams, Dr. Bob Braile, Dr. DD Humber, and Dr. John Maltby. The cleanup speaker will be the new ICA President Elect, Dr. Gary Walsemann.

Dr. Walsemann will be sworn in the following Saturday as the ICA's 16th president. He has served on the ICA Board and executive committee for over 20 years. He has recently retired from a high volume practice in Claremont New Hampshire and now resides in Alexander City, Alabama. Dr. Walsemann notes that his retirement from active practice now gives him the time and focus to devote to ICA as president.

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Chiropractors Come Out On Top in Consumer Report Study

In April 2009 Consumer Reports released the results of a patient survey study, that will be published in their May 2009 paper edition, showing that chiropractic rated highest among patients in satisfaction of relief of back pain. Results of the study were reported on in several news articles including an April 6, 2009 WebMD article and an April 8, 2009 CBS news story.

The survey noted that 80% of US adults report having back pain some time in their lives. Of those responding to the survey, chiropractic received the highest grade with 59% saying that they were "highly satisfied" with their results. Physical therapy and acupuncture rated second and third with 55% and 53% respectively. In comparison, satisfaction with medical specialist and primary care medical physicians rated only 44% and 34% respectively.

CBS News medical expert Dr. Jennifer Ashton commented that the results of this study reflect what she is seeing in her practice. She noted that back pain is the most common ailment in the country and it is difficult to treat. Dr. Ashton stated that her patients are looking elsewhere, "They're staying away from things like medication, prescription drugs and surgery." Dr. Ashton also warned against a "quick fix" to get rid of the pain. She noted, "A lot of times that's prescription narcotics, which is actually probably the worst thing for you." She also warned, "Surgery is another option, but one that should be used as a last resort."

Dr. John Maltby, President of the International Chiropractors Association added, "For well over 100 years, chiropractors have been seeing a large number of patients suffering with back problems. And although chiropractic does not directly treat the pain, we do work to correct the underlying structural and neurological problem that, in many cases, is causing the problem. This study shows what we have known for a long time. Chiropractic get results and helps people lead normal and healthier lives."

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Three Tier Universal Healthcare Proposed, with Chiropractic Only Included in Tier 2

On March 2, 2009 an article was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, that laid out a detailed plan for universal healthcare in which chiropractic is only included on a voluntary basis. The authors of this article call themselves the "Healthcare Professionals for Healthcare Reform", and describe themselves as, "a group of physicians and others interested in health care reform who, recognizing the urgent need for change, convened to propose a universal health care plan that builds on the strengths of the U.S. health care system and improves on its coverage, efficiency, and capacity for patient choice."

In their article, they put forth a detailed plan for universal healthcare delivered in a three tiered system. (The article can been seen here.)  In this proposed system there would be three tiers of service offered.

As they describe it, "Tier 1, the base level, would cover the entire population from cradle to grave. It would include all medical, surgical, and psychiatric therapies considered to be life saving, life-sustaining, or preventive on the basis of the best evidence (from the medical literature and expert opinions)."

In their plan, Tier 2 would, "cover all therapies considered to help with quality of life, as well as some diagnoses or services that do not have sufficient evidence for a Tier 1 indication." This Tier would be administered by private insurance who would be allowed to limit the amount and type of care, subject to and oversight board. As they describe it, "Tier 2 plans can be broad (covering most Tier 2 services) or can be customized for specific groups, such as a geriatric plan that covers extended care facilities but not fertility care; a heavy laborer plan that includes chiropractic therapy; or a worker's compensation plan purchased by employers, employees, or unions." In other words, chiropractic services are second class in this plan.

The last tier of care is described as follows. "Tier 3 would apply to all medical and surgical issues considered luxury or cosmetic, such as radial keratotomy or botulinum toxin treatments. Funding for Tier 3 would not be covered under the EMBRACE system—as in the current system—and all bills would go to the patient."

They differentiate the three tiers by saying, "Pharmaceuticals will have similar tier assignments for medical coverage: Tier 1 would include formulations and therapies that treat or prevent serious illnesses and would mostly be paid for by public funds or be heavily subsidized. Tier 2 would apply to drugs and therapies that enhance quality of life and would be covered by private insurance. Tier 3 would be for luxury items."

From the look of this proposed system, it seems that chiropractic is given a back seat, and the same old philosophy of disease treatment first, will prevail. We need to be wary if we start to hear our government officials working on universal healthcare start to use the phrase, "Three Tier System". If we hear that, we know where it came from and where that train is going!

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The Good, the Bad, and the Subluxated! - AKA - Chiropractic in the News

The world wide web is full of articles that are of interest to us as chiropractors. Not all of these stories are good, and many of them I do not agree with. However, you should be aware of them. To see the actual articles, please click on the headline links below.

Happy Birthday Dr. Steve Hoffman. His birthday was May 2 and for his birthday he offered everyone the following invitation for a free audio on creating ideal patients in their practice. Click here to get your free gift.

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NYK Upcoming Seminars and Shows

We would like to thank the many associations, organizations and groups that have us speaking on their programs. Dates permitting, we would love to participate at your Association or Society convention as well. If you are interested in having us at your program, please contact us at either nowyouknow@nowyouknow.net or call us at 1-800-695-8937. Below is a list of programs and speaking engagements we have scheduled in the near future.

{Calendar-NYK}

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Now You Know Internet Educational Services

First and Foremost, We Are a Service:  Since we are chiropractors we understand the concept of "service".  We make every aspect of our service user friendly.  You do not have to have a computer degree to get the most out of your NYK service.  In addition, we are so confident that you will be satisfied with our service that we do something that others do not.  NO CONTRACTS!  You simply subscribe to our service and pay by the quarter. We have to continually earn your business.

NYK ADJUSTable Websites:  The NYK website service combines technology with the best education available. Some of the features you get with a NYK website include:

  • ADJUSTable website so you change the theme of your website instantly any time you want.
  • Online appointment requests so patients can request appointments from your websites with the request being sent via text message to whatever cell phone or email you choose.
  • Search Engine Optimization so that others can easily find your site. You can also add your own key words and searchable phrases unique for your practice.
  • Over 800 pages of content, educational videos, your videos online, and much more

Now You Know Email Newsletter Service: The NYK email newsletter service is really two services in one:

  • REAL NEWS - REAL CURRENT!  No other newsletter service in chiropractic delivers more timely, real news, directly to your patients' inbox.
  • Your Contact Info, Pictures and Logo - The newsletter looks like it comes from you.
  • Add a personal Message - You can add a custom message to the newsletter to add that personal touch and keep in touch with your patients
  • Bulk Email Abilities -  With the NYK email newsletter service, you can also easily send bulk emails out to your entire patient list.

Echiropractic: We push technology to the limit with online chiropractic pamphlets, cards, and office letters for your unlimited use.

  • Send unlimited Ecards:  You can send Echiropractic messages either individual or by bulk emails, directly to a single patient or your entire list!.  
  • Additional Customized Message - Echiropractic emails can be customized with a personal message from you.
  • Over 80 unique cards and messages - This service works similarly to some other popular online greeting cards, with one big difference. These messages are for chiropractic offices with chiropractic messages.

Chiropractic Depot:  Why pay for a website when you can also have your website start paying you?  Chiropractic Depot brings education and income together on your website.

  • Storefront on your website - with this service you get a storefront inside your website where visitors can select and purchase from a growing list of health, wellness, and fitness products.
  • Over 500 Products - The Chiropractic Depot has over 500 products, and the list keeps growing.
  • Select only the products you want - Chiropractic Depot allows you to remove any products that you do not want to have available for sale in your storefront
  • Sales filled by vendors - All sales are filled by the vendors and products are shipped directly to the purchaser. 
  • The Best Part - And the best part is that you get a commission on each sale!

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How to Contact NYK

General NYK Mailing Address:
Now You Know Inc.
PO Box 2210, Marietta, GA 30061-2210

Use our toll free number
to reach any of our departments


800-695-8937

Our Email Addresses

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