Chiropractic Economics Blog

Calling all readers! Our annual salary survey needs your input. Your responses are used in our Issue 8 feature article. Our survey is also used by the U.S. Dept. of Labor Statistics, so you not only help us, but you perform a service to the profession when you reply. It only takes about 10 minutes to complete. The deadline is April 7 — but don’t wait, take the survey now. Click here.

This second day of the seminars continues to be a blast for the attendees. “It was a 90 min session but went by so fast,” is typical of the kind of comments we’re hearing.

Today’s opener with Joe Mercola, DC, was popular and generated substantial buzz, and Terry Yochum, DC, presented twice. Mercola spoke on the future of healthcare and Yochum focused on MRI.

And at the Performance Health booth, Elvis sang a duet with our own Melissa Heyboer!

We’re in Vegas and this time at the Rio Hotel and Convention Center. In a sign of the strengthening economy, this show looks to be a bit larger than last year’s.

In addition to a new venue, there are new events, too. Thursday’s opening session will be a recommitment to the profession led by Fabrizio Mancini, DC.

At 11 am Thurs., the F4CP celebrates its 10th anniversay with the “Champions of Chiropractic” – go to the Amazon Ballroom to meet Jerry Rice and Gen. Becky Halstead.

Other highlight:

At 2:30, Arlan Fuhr will be presenting the Activator Method, and Larry Markson will discuss charisma.

If you have a moment, come to the exhibit hall and say hi – we’re at booth 303.

We’re here in Orlando at the Florida Chiropractic Association 2012 annual convention. Chiropractic Economics is the official media sposor as always. Attendence is strong this year.

Of particular interest was the presentation by Dr Vreeland on functional approaches to managing anxiety and stress, the plenary session on Saturday by Jennings on ethics, and Lambert and Drigger’s talk titled “PIP in 2012 and Beyond, which drew considerable comment.

The documentary Doctored by Jeff Hayes drew interested viewers on both Friday and Saturday, and the staff of Chiropractic Economics was deeply impressed by the quality of the film. We urge you to see it when you can.

On Monday, April 9, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius signaled her intention to extend the deadline for the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 coding system to Oct. 1, 2014.

The previous deadline, Oct. 1, 2013, was seen as too aggressive, given the pace at which software developers, CMS, and insurers – along with healthcare providers – are preparing to transition to the new system. The deadline for HIPPA 5010 compliance remains unchanged: June 30, 2012.

Watch for Issue 7 of Chiropractic Economics magazine. Our feature story is a rundown on where we stand with ICD-10, how it differs from ICD-9, how it will affect you, and how you can start to make some basic preparations now before things get hectic.

Friday saw a lot of buzz and action at the Sessions. We held nearly continual meetings with authors and vendors at our booth – where Rep Janice Long was usually on hand:

The highlight of the morning was a fasion show held by Dillards in support of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. The music, catwalks and stylish clothing had the feel of a fully professional event:

The staff of Chiropractic Economics is here in the City that Never Sleeps to report on the profession’s largest annual gathering. We’ll keep you posted on the major events and the goings-on behind the scenes.

Right now it’s the calm before the storm. Early risers were seen at the gym and out for pre-dawn runs in the chilly morning! This is a group that definitely walks the walk.

Fabrio Mancini will be leading the opening session at 8:30 am Thurs. with a talk on educating and inspiring those around you. Presentations by Gentempo, Orlowsky, Woggon and Lamarche among others look to be standout sessions.

More as it happens…

Congratulations on getting through a difficult and complex year. Surviving 2011 may have tested your wits, courage, and endurance, but if you made it through with your practice, odds are that the year ahead will be a bit easier on you.

Economic outlook: Financial forecasts are notoriously difficult to make and rarely accurate, and we remain at risk of Black Swan events over which we have no control. That said, improving consumer and business sentiment, combined with strong sales in autos and durable goods due to pent-up demand are hinting at a bullish stock market in the second half of 2012.

The picture for real estate is looking mixed. Some regions will see firm growth and rising values (Calif., NY, FL, VA), particularly in the major cities. Other areas may lag while continued foreclosures and weak demand suppress values. Nevertheless, the worst of the declines looks to be over and a floor is firming up that we can build on.

Sector outlook: Healthcare will remain one of the long-term winners with continued growth and investment, continuing a cyclical trend driven by demographic shifts and economic realities. Parents will always want the best care for their children, working-age adults will want to remain healthy to be financially productive and avoid the catastrophic costs of long-term care, and the elderly will want to maintain or improve the quality of their lives.

At the same time, the Affordable Care Act and Medical Home Model initiatives are placing emphasis on preventive care and wellness. This is a niche that alternative care owns and chiropractic is in the forefront. The ACA and state associations have been working successfully to maintain chiropractic’s seat at the table as legislation has been drafted, ensuring that consumers will have access to chiropractic as they navigate their insurance options.

Most consultants and chiropractors I’ve spoken with are not optimistic, and they point to practice closures, declining PVAs, and enrollment numbers at chiropractic colleges as evidence that the profession is endangered. On the other hand, we’re looking forward now and noting that prospects for recovery are taking shape and so the question is how to best capitalize on them.

Publishing outlook: In the series of issues we have planned for 2012, we’ll pay particular attention to proven, field-tested marketing strategies, practice specialization ideas, and practical management techniques. While some doctors are struggling against headwinds, others are doing extremely well by focusing on areas in healthcare where the need is greatest and allopathic medicine has few solutions.

In particular, we’re paying close attention to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, asthma, nutritional support, and probiotics, as DCs are seeing success in these areas in addition to providing traditional back treatment and pain relief. Get ready for what promises to be an exciting year for all of us.

It’s always important to educate your patients and the public about the many benefits of chiropractic care. This month is National Chiropractic Health Month (NCHM)  and the efforts you make will be magnified by those of your colleagues and your state and national associations.

One way to participate is to put the NCHM logo on your webpage:

This campaign, sponsored by the ACA, focuses on ideas you can share with your patients about using technology safely, avoiding problems like “text neck” and similar. Clicking on the logo takes your patients to health tips they can study online.

There are also resources available for you, including a link to an e-card about NCHM, sample Facebook and Twitter posts, and a press release you can send from your office.

We’re participating here at Chiropractic Economics, and we hope you’ll join us. This is your month to shine, reaching out to your community and offering the gift of chiropractic and vitality that only you can provide.

So far, we’ve held three Facebook giveaways and are preparing the fourth. To enter our sweepstakes for readers, visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChiroEcoMag and click on “sweepstakes” at left.

Important: You must “Like” both the Chiropractic Economics and the vendor’s Facebook pages. We’ve put a link on the entry form so you can “Like” the vendor’s page right there with a single click.

Also, you only have to “Like” us on Facebook once to be eligible to enter a giveaway contest, but you have to separately enter each contest in which you wish to participate.

Sign up for our current contest here and good luck!