[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 999 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 999

To require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to 
provide chiropractic health care services and benefits for certain new 
             beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 1, 2005

Mr. Rogers of Alabama introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to 
provide chiropractic health care services and benefits for certain new 
             beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Chiropractic Health Parity for 
Military Beneficiaries Act''.

SEC. 2. CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CARE FOR RETIREES, DEPENDENTS, AND 
              SURVIVORS.

    (a) Plan Required.--Not later than August 31, 2005, the Secretary 
of Defense shall complete development of a plan to provide chiropractic 
health care services and benefits, as a permanent part of the TRICARE 
program, for covered beneficiaries.
    (b) Contents of Plan.--The plan shall require that a contract 
entered into under section 1097 of title 10, United States Code, for 
the delivery of health care services shall--
            (1) include the delivery of chiropractic services;
            (2) require that chiropractic services may be provided only 
        by a doctor of chiropractic; and
            (3) provide that a covered beneficiary may select and have 
        direct access to a doctor of chiropractic without referral by 
        another health practitioner.
    (c) Implementation of Plan.--The plan developed under subsection 
(a) shall provide for implementation of the plan to begin no later than 
January 31, 2006.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The term ``chiropractic services''--
                    (A) includes diagnosis (including by diagnostic X-
                ray tests), evaluation and management, and therapeutic 
                services for the treatment of a patient's health 
                condition, including neuromusculoskeletal conditions 
                and the subluxation complex, and such other services 
                determined appropriate by the Secretary and as 
                authorized under State law; and
                    (B) does not include the use of drugs or surgery.
            (2) The term ``covered beneficiary'' has the meaning 
        provided by section 1072(5) of title 10, United States Code.
            (3) The term ``doctor of chiropractic'' means only a doctor 
        of chiropractic who is licensed as a doctor of chiropractic, 
        chiropractic physician, or chiropractor by a State, the 
        District of Columbia, or a territory or possession of the 
        United States.
            (4) The term ``TRICARE program'' has the meaning provided 
        by section 1072(7) of title 10, United States Code.
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