New Legislation allows Texas Chiropractors to Diagnose Patients As Texas chiropractors have gained the right to diagnose patients, they will benefit by having efficient chiropractic medical billing and coding services.
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This May, chiropractors in Texas gained the right to diagnose patients. The Texas legislative session proved a historic one for the chiropractic profession when the Governor signed into law Senate Bill 304 which upholds the right of licensed doctors of chiropractic in Texas to diagnose patients. This has positive implications for patient safety and insurance reimbursement. It also provides citizens of Texas with greater access to chiropractic care. By opting for chiropractic medical billing and coding services to ensure accurate ICD-10 coding, Texas chiropractors can now maximize reimbursement while providing effective patient care. The governor’s signature on the bill nullifies a 2016 decision by the Travis County District Court in the Texas Medical Association vs. Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners law suit in which diagnosis was deemed to exceed the scope of practice. Texas had been the only state where chiropractors were not allowed to diagnose. Also, with this legislation, the Texas chiropractic board will continue through September 1, 2029, in addition to several other modifications to increase patient safety. Two other key bills which will improve the overall quality of health care in Texas were also signed into law: -
Senate Bill 679 which allows chiropractors to legally enter into business partnerships with medical physicians, osteopathic physicians and podiatrists
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House Bill 3024, which permits chiropractors to remove student-athletes from play from interscholastic competition on any suspicion of a concussion
The President of the Texas Chiropractic Association (TCA) notes, “Research has shown that the cooperation between medical physicians and chiropractors greatly benefits the patient… Chiropractors receive specific education and training that allows them to identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion. Having a chiropractor on the sideline or the field of play offers another layer of protection for those involved in sports activities.” He sees the signing of the bills as acceptance of the benefits of chiropractic care by the state leadership. This safe, non-invasive, and drug-free treatment has proven long-term benefits. Many studies have noted that chiropractic care could be a solution to the opiod epidemic. According to a paper published by ncbi.nlm.nih.gov in 2013, clinicians most commonly consulted for back pain in North America are chiropractors, general medical practitioners, and
orthopedists. As
chiropractic treatment
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grows in
popularity, these healthcare
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professionals
also
need
reliable
medical
billing
services
to
ensure
appropriate
reimbursement. Last October, several new ICD-10 codes came into effect for chiropractors. Here are the top ICD-10 codes of interest to chiropractors in 2017: G56.03 Carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral upper limbs G56.13 Other lesions of median nerve, bilateral upper limbs G56.23 Lesion of ulnar nerve, bilateral upper limbs G56.33 Lesion of radial nerve, bilateral upper limbs G56.43 Causalgia of bilateral upper limbs G56.83 Other specified mononeuropathies of bilateral upper limbs G56.93 Unspecified mononeuropathy of bilateral upper limbs G57.03 Lesion of sciatic nerve, bilateral lower limbs G57.13 Meralgia paresthetica, bilateral lower limbs G57.23 Lesion of femoral nerve, bilateral lower limbs G57.33 Lesion of lateral popliteal nerve, bilateral lower limbs G57.43 Lesion of medial popliteal nerve, bilateral lower limbs G57.53 Tarsal tunnel syndrome, bilateral lower limbs G57.63 Lesion of plantar nerve, bilateral lower limbs G57.73 Causalgia of bilateral lower limbs M21.611 Bunion of right foot M21.612 Bunion of left foot M21.619 Bunion of unspecified foot M21.621 Bunionette of right foot M21.622 Bunionette of left foot M21.629 Bunionette of unspecified foot M25.541 Pain in joints of right hand M25.542 Pain in joints of left hand M25.549 Pain in joints of unspecified hand
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M26.601 Right temporomandibular joint disorder, unspecified M26.602 Left temporomandibular joint disorder, unspecified M26.603 Bilateral temporomandibular joint disorder, unspecified M26.609 Unspecified temporomandibular joint disorder, unspecified side M26.611 Adhesions and ankylosis of right temporomandibular joint M26.612 Adhesions and ankylosis of left temporomandibular joint M26.613 Adhesions and ankylosis of bilateral temporomandibular joint M26.619 Adhesions and ankylosis of temporomandibular joint, unspecified side M26.621 Arthralgia of right temporomandibular joint M26.622 Arthralgia of left temporomandibular joint M26.623 Arthralgia of bilateral temporomandibular joint M26.629 Arthralgia of temporomandibular joint, unspecified side M26.631 Articular disc disorder of right temporomandibular joint M26.632 Articular disc disorder of left temporomandibular joint M26.633 Articular disc disorder of bilateral temporomandibular joint M26.639 Articular disc disorder of temporomandibular joint, unspecified side M50.020 Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, mid-cervical region, unspecified level M50.021 Cervical disc disorder at C4-C5 level with myelopathy M50.022 Cervical disc disorder at C5-C6 level with myelopathy M50.023 Cervical disc disorder at C6-C7 level with myelopathy M50.120 Mid-cervical disc disorder, unspecified M50.121 Cervical disc disorder at C4-C5 level with radiculopathy M50.122 Cervical disc disorder at C5-C6 level with radiculopathy M50.123 Cervical disc disorder at C6-C7 level with radiculopathy M50.220 Other cervical disc displacement, mid-cervical region, unspecified level M50.221 Other cervical disc displacement at C4-C5 level M50.222 Other cervical disc displacement at C5-C6 level
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M26.601 Right temporomandibular joint disorder, unspecified M50.320 Other cervical disc degeneration, mid-cervical region, unspecified level M50.321 Other cervical disc degeneration at C4-C5 level M50.322 Other cervical disc degeneration at C5-C6 level M50.323 Other cervical disc degeneration at C6-C7 level M50.820 Other cervical disc disorders, mid-cervical region, unspecified level M50.821 Other cervical disc disorders at C4-C5 level M50.822 Other cervical disc disorders at C5-C6 level M50.823 Other cervical disc disorders at C6-C7 level M50.920 Unspecified cervical disc disorder, mid-cervical region, unspecified level M50.921 Unspecified cervical disc disorder at C4-C5 level M50.922 Unspecified cervical disc disorder at C5-C6 level M50.923 Unspecified cervical disc disorder at C6-C7 level Deletions to note include: M26.60 Temporomandibular joint disorder, unspecified M26.61 Adhesions and ankylosis of temporomandibular joint M26.62 Arthralgia of temporomandibular joint M26.63 Articular disc disorder of temporomandibular joint M50.02 Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, mid-cervical region M50.12 Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, mid-cervical region M50.22 Other cervical disc displacement, mid-cervical region M50.32 Other cervical disc degeneration, mid-cervical region M50.82 Other cervical disc disorders, mid-cervical region M50.92 Cervical disc disorder, unspecified, mid-cervical region
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According to a recent Research and Markets report the global chiropractic care market will grow at a CAGR of 3.67% during the period 2017-2021. As the demand for chiropractic care grows with wider acceptance of the effectiveness of the therapy for musculoskeletal conditions, providers will benefit by partnering with a reliable chiropractic insurance billing service provider.
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(800) 670 2809