To best serve their senior patients, chiropractic physicians must be allowed to practice to the fullest extent of their licensure, training, and competencies. Since the chiropractic profession was first included in Medicare in 1972, doctors of chiropractic and their patients have been burdened by arbitrary limitations that lack any scientific or sound policy justification. Research demonstrating positive patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness resulting from chiropractic care have advanced private coverage and state licensure to meet patient needs.

The federal Medicare program, which serves as a model for private insurance plans, currently serves more than 60 million individuals. Various projections forecast the number of people age 65 or older increasing by about one-third over the next decade. Chiropractic inclusion in Medicare was established in 1972 and has seen little change since then, other than the elimination of the X-ray requirement in 1997.