This month, the Department of Health, Board of Chiropractic Medicine, issued notice of two proposed rule changes that seek to benefit the profession by updating the rules to reap the benefits of updated technology from when the Rules were drafted.

The FCA proposed a Rule change to Rule 64B2-17.006 in how patients and the Department of Health are informed of the new location of a patient’s medical records from written notification and publication in a newspaper to electronic mail delivery or US Mail or through a patient’s medical record portal.

Tallahassee – Failing to agree on measures during their regular session earlier this year to bring stability to Florida’s volatile property insurance market, state lawmakers were summoned to Tallahassee this week for a special session called by Gov. DeSantis to revisit the issue. With the start of the Sunshine State’s official 2022 hurricane season just days away, the Senate and House spent just short of three days debating and passing a series of measures they believe will help curb the problem as thousands of Floridians face losing their coverage, as others face the challenge of soaring rates.

Despite the Department’s and Board Counsel’s firm warnings and despite overwhelming public testimony in opposition, the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine on Thursday afternoon advanced a controversial rule change petition filed in November by a sole private vendor of on-demand continuing education. During their regular board meeting yesterday in Tampa, the state regulatory board responsible for setting policy for the profession and charged with protecting the public health voted 4 to 3 to advance sweeping changes overhauling current regulations for in-person CE offerings.

The changes originally brought forth in November by petitioner Dr. Rick Warner, CEO of GoLearn Network, include new, highly invasive levels of attendee monitoring at every entrance and exit point by an attendance monitor, “clear” video surveillance with date and time recording of everyone that enters and exits the classroom, and an attendance log that includes the attendee’s name, license number, and time of entry and exit. A testing requirement for in-person CEs passed yesterday after being approved 4 to 3 as an additional attendance monitoring feature at the January 18, 2022 workshop per a motion made by Board Vice-Chair and CE Chair Jason Comerford, DC.

The testing requirement forces the attendee of in-person CEs to take a test during each credit hour and answer at least 75% of the questions or retake the entire credit hour before the next credit hour can be attempted. FCA General Counsel Kim Driggers provided public comment opposing this testing provision as administratively difficult and costly to the end-user, the chiropractic physician attendee.

The FCA again shone a bright light on chiropractic at the 75th Annual Workers' Compensation Educational Conference in Orlando, where some 3,600 industry professionals gathered to learn the latest in industry trends and solutions. The FCA exhibited and sponsored a breakout session on "Innovative Results-Driven Approach to Reducing Frequency and Severity of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD's) With Chiropractic Care" with instructors Chad Henricksen, D.C. and Lisa Rosenau.

As we honor our veterans in appreciation for their service, how can we also provide the chiropractic care that many so desperately need? The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress provides great information on this topic in their Military and Veterans Corner post on f4cp.org. 

Lake Buena Vista – During its regular meeting earlier today, the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine took the unusual and unprecedented action of agreeing to workshop and further study a major rewrite of its rules governing continuing education for chiropractic physicians. The petition for the change was proposed by a single private vendor, the GoLearn Network, and as written is specifically designed to benefit their online offering of CE courses, to the detriment of all others.

FCA's Chiropractic Day at the Capitol was held last Tuesday and involved chiropractic physicians and students who took time from their practices and studies to visit legislators. Chiropractic Day at the Capitol has been an annual FCA-sponsored event for more than 25 years and is a vital part of the FCA lobby effort. Attendees educated legislators on the need to preserve Florida's no-fault auto insurance system, the need to expand awareness, funding and access to opioid alternative treatments as well as the safety and efficacy of chiropractic for a "conservative care first" approach to patient care.

As of September 30, 2021, the minimum wage in Florida will rise to $10.00 per hour from its current rate of $8.65 per hour. The increase is the result of a state constitutional amendment that was approved by Florida voters last November, to raise the state minimum wage to $15.00 by 2026 for employees working in Florida.