Help us fight for better insurance coverage of chiropractic!

We hear from chiropractors often that they have patients who, due to insurance limitations, are unable to continue receiving the care that helps their chronic pain or must ration visits at the cost of their health. HB 303 would require insurers to cover a minimum of 20 chiropractic visits per year, along with other nonpharmacological pain management services like physical therapy, massage therapy, and acupuncture. On Wednesday, NHCA Board members Dr. Daniel Parent and Dr. James Pamplin provided verbal testimony to the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee in support of this legislation. We want to thank all of the New Hampshire DCs who have taken the time to submit written testimony!

If you have not had a chance to show your support yet, there is still time to contact the committee before its members vote to decide whether this bill will move forward. To send your testimony to the full committee, email HouseCommerceCommittee@leg.state.nh.us. You can use
our template to help you write your testimony.

 

June 2022 Featured Members: Drs. Lamson, Morgan, and Clemons of White Mountain Chiropractic & Rehabilitation

About White Mountain Chiropractic & Rehabilitation

White Mountain Chiropractic & Rehabilitation specializes in the education, diagnosis, and manual treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, offering an individual and integrated approach. The team provides therapies and treatment to patients of all ages for a number of conditions, including sports and occupational injuries. In addition to chiropractic and Rehabilitation, they offer evidence-based techniques including manual Active Myofascial Release and Graston Technique®. White Mountain Chiropractic & Rehabilitation has locations in Rindge and New Ipswich, and a new office in Porstmouth. We are proud to have the DCs at White Mountain Chiropractic & Rehabilitation as members of the NHCA! Be sure to check out their website, and learn more about the team below.

Visit Their Website

About Dr. Colby Lamson:

Dr. Colby Lamson received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire, and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree (DC) from New York Chiropractic College where he graduated with induction into the Phi Chi Omega Honors Society. Dr. Lamson was accepted into an honors residency program at South Shore Neurological Associates specializing in an interdisciplinary approach to chronic pain in Long Island, NY prior to graduation. He is currently a member of the American Chiropractic Association and New England Sports Medicine Council.

Dr. Lamson believes in educating the patient about the cause of their symptoms, and empowering them to take control of their pain. Using a combination of methods to correct joint and soft tissue dysfunction, he aims to relieve pain as quickly as possible and educate patients on how to function pain free. Outside of work, Dr. Lamson enjoys motorsports, biking, and golfing with friends and family.

About Dr. Rachel Morgan:

Dr. Rachel Morgan is a licensed chiropractor in the state of New Hampshire and earned her doctorate of chiropractic (DC) from New York Chiropractic College, graduating with Honors and induction into the Phi Chi Omega Honors Society. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Morgan grew up just south of Seattle, WA and obtained her her B.A., majoring in biology from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. During her last year residency at NYCC, Dr. Morgan had the opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary chronic pain practice integrating neurology, physical therapy, and pain management. This experience emphasized a team approach to individual care, the complexity of the human frame, and the important role of patient education.

Dr. Morgan is committed to evidence based, patient centered care and treats patients for a range of conditions from sports injuries to chronic pain by focusing on the entire musculoskeletal system. She develops individual comprehensive treatment plans that focus both on alleviating symptoms and helping patients maintain and achieve their functional goals. Dr. Morgan is a member of the New England Sports Medicine Council, the American Chiropractic Association, and the North American Spine Society. She is constantly looking for further opportunities to enhance her education and skill so that she is able to provide her patients with the best care possible. A healthy lifestyle, environmental awareness, and staying involved with the community are very important to Dr. Morgan. While not at work, Dr. Morgan enjoys being outdoors, running, eating good food, or just relaxing with family and friends.

 

About Dr. Greer Clemons:

Dr. Greer was first introduced to chiropractic as a patient after an injury she sustained during a horseback riding accident, an experience that made her decide that she wanted to provide others with the same pain relief she received from care. After graduating Cum Laude from Albion College in Michigan with a major in Kinesiology, Dr. Greer attended Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. In addition to the ordinary course of study, Dr. Greer enrolled in elective chiropractic technique courses while at Palmer inclusive of Sacro-Occipital Technique, Thompson, Activator, and Advanced Soft Tissue. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with an award for Academic Excellence in June of 2018. Dr. Greer has a passion for approaching each patient as a whole and incorporates personalized nutrition, exercise, and activities of daily living counseling and soft tissue work in addition to chiropractic care. She loves to empower patients to take control of their own health and will work with her patients to create a care plan to fit their needs and lifestyle. Outside of work, Dr. Greer enjoys horseback riding, hiking, camping, running, and good food.

Find White Mountain Chiropractic & Rehabilitation on Facebook:

Want to be highlighted in the NHCA’s monthly featured member rotation? Send us a message at info@nhchiropractic.org. Not a member yet? Join today! 

Support our Work- Become a Member!

NHCA Legislative Chair Mark Stagnone, DC testifies in front of the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee in support of HB 247 in February 2022. 

Over the past year, the NHCA has done work on behalf of the profession that we’re proud of. The association:

  • Advertised chiropractic’s “hands-on, drug free approach to healthcare in a safe environment” on NHPR and its podcasts from March to August, directing listeners to our member map.
  • Allied with a multi-disciplinary group of healthcare organizations to advocate for HB 247, a bill that would ensure adequate chiropractic coverage for patients who would otherwise be prescribed opioids for acute or chronic pain.
  • Sent our board members to Concord to testify in support of HB 1245, a bill that would address unfair chiropractic copayment practices by insurance companies.
  • Held a virtual town hall event open to all NH chiropractors to collect information on the issues impacting the profession throughout the state.
  • Presented continuing education in collaboration with the ACA Pediatrics Council.
  • Lobbied New Hampshire’s congressional delegation to support the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act, which would update Medicare rules to allow coverage for our usual scope of services, including exams. That means better chiropractic coverage for over 300,000 Granite Staters!
  • Hired our first Association Manager to ensure that we are consistently and reliably meeting the needs of New Hampshire chiropractors.

This year, we continue to advocate on legislation impacting the profession and plan exciting continuing education opportunities, both virtual and in-person. We are gathering information from New Hampshire chiropractors to address Anthem payment delays, and anticipate that the NHCA will be represented as a stakeholder in a state-commissioned study on minimum chiropractic insurance coverage by commercial insurance plans.

This work is made possible by our members across the state. To continue and expand our efforts, we need your support.

You can support our work by becoming an NHCA member today!

Become a Member

Spring 2022 NECC Summit in Portsmouth

On Saturday, April 9 the NHCA joined association leaders from across the Northeast for our 2022 Spring Northeast Chiropractic Council meeting. Thank you to Dr. Colby Lamson and Dr. Rachel Morgan of White Mountain Chiropractic & Rehabilitation for lending us the rehab space in your new Portsmouth office!
 
To hear our report on what we learned from other states at the NECC summit, members can join us on our monthly NHCA Board of Directors call this Wednesday, April 20 at 8:30 PM. Email info@nhchiropractic.org for a link.

Introducing Association Manager Leah Stagnone

The Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Leah Stagnone as NHCA’s first association manager. Ms. Stagnone accepted a contract offer to start as Executive Manager in March 2022. She comes to us with a breadth of experience in non-profit operations, and previously served for two years as Executive Assistant to the NHCA. We are convinced that her skills and contributions to NHCA leadership will provide the best next step for chiropractors in the Granite State.

Stagnone’s previous work includes several years as a volunteer healthcare policy advocate in the NH legislature, giving her experience and familiarity that will advance our collaborations and initiatives in Concord. She has previously testified publicly on a number of bills to advance patient-centric healthcare in the state. Furthermore, in the past year she has demonstrated an ability to deftly organize and coach NHCA stakeholders. Her work included supporting bills to regulate chiropractic co-pays, and to establish coverage standards for non-pharmacological pain care.

Additionally, her resume includes several years with ABLE NH, a non-profit in the movement to protect the rights of people with disabilities. There she gained extensive experience in membership recruitment, volunteer management, in-person and online event planning, social media management, and the general operations of a small non-profit organization.

Stagnone notes that, growing up the daughter of a chiropractor, she is familiar with the chiropractic community and culture, and also has a great appreciation for the doctors’ role in quality health care. She states:

“I feel well-equipped to take on more responsibility with the NHCA, and with this opportunity to
dedicate more time to the association, I see great potential for progress in membership
numbers, communications, continuing education offerings and turnout, social media presence,
legislative advocacy, and so much more. This potential has been clear to me over the past two
years, and I often wished that I could give more time to work toward these goals. I am confident
in my ability to build relationships with doctors throughout the state, energize new members
around issues impacting the profession, and grow the NHCA’s reputation as a trusted, influential
resource for New Hampshire chiropractors.”

With Stagnone’s help, NHCA looks forward to helping chiropractors serve their communities’ health even better.

COVID-19 Statement for Chiropractors

Dear NHCA Members,

As front line health care providers, we selflessly serve humanity. And from time to time we as doctors find ourselves amid a public health crisis. Today is such a time.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States is affecting both the way you practice and the business side of practicing. The available information changes by the day and much of it influences our practices. And the available misinformation seems to change even faster. We at the NHCA will try to give you resources to benefit your practice and, of course, your patients.

SPREAD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

The NH Dept of HHS’ most recent count is 55 confirmed cases in the state as of 3/20/20 at 9 am. Most of these cases are in Rockingham, Hillsborough and Grafton counties. The promised, more widespread, availability of testing may well make this number go up dramatically in the coming week. DHHS website for tracking coronavirus is: www.nh.gov/covid19/

ADVICE TO HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

Kentucky has ordered all DC offices to close, no other state has followed suit and many have declared all doctors’ offices to be essential. Advice from CDC to healthcare facilities can be broken down into two categories:

Screening patients pre-visit:

As of March 16, 2020 CDC recommends asking patients:

  • Have you traveled outside the state or country in the last 14 days?
  • Have you had contact with anyone with confirmed COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
  • Have you had: Fever over 100, Difficulty breathing or a Cough?

If the answer is no to all, then they may be scheduled for an appointment. However, if the answer is yes to the health questions, refer them for testing. If yes to contact or travel questions, then wait 14 days.

Sanitary procedures for healthcare facilities:

  • Clean tables, armrests and headrests esp. between each patient
  • Clean chair rails, doorknobs, toilet and sink handles and any other surface patients may touch regularly
  • Regularly clean those things staff touch regularly, such as keyboards, adding machines, copiers, etc.
  • Separate and/or remove chairs from reception area to maintain a 6-foot distance between patients (basic test: if two people sit in chairs and reach toward each other, they can’t touch if the chairs are 6 ft apart)
  • Wearing gloves is optional at this time and masks are generally ineffective unless you are a carrier.
  • Hand washing for at least 20 seconds is very effective, water temp. is unimportant, the use of soap is what gets rid of the virus.
  • Avoid face touching.

HIPAA REMINDER – COVID-19 FROM NCMIC

Original article here from NCMIC HIPAA has a special guidance section for what information and to whom that information can be released during an emergency situation. You can review these guidelines as release by US DHHS.

The 18 Protected Health Information (PHI) identifiers include: names, dates (except year), telephone numbers, geographic data, fax numbers, social security numbers, email addresses, medical record numbers, account numbers, health plan beneficiary numbers, certificate/license numbers, vehicle identifiers and serial numbers including license plates, web URLs, device identifiers and serial numbers, internet protocol addresses, full face photos and comparable images, biometric identifiers (i.e. retinal scan, fingerprints), any unique identifying number or code.

HELPFUL LINKS

For up to the minute information from CDC this is a good reference which is more chiro specific:

There is a great amount of fear and trepidation about the current situation so allow patients to cancel their appointments without judgment. Also, some insurers may reimburse for telehealth visits and all may be ordered to soon. A good article on these including coding information are available online.

Finally, if you find you need to lay off staff, they can take advantage of the unemployment guidelines and receive help earlier than usual through NH Employment Security.

Please know those of us at NHCA are here to help. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly or via our social media channels. We wish you all the best of luck and hope you stay safe during these trying times.

Yours in health,

NHCA Board of Directors