Historic ACA-ICA Collaboration Takes Center Stage on NCMIC's Chiropractical

Two of chiropractic's most influential leaders, Dr. Kris Anderson, President of the American Chiropractic Association, and Dr. Joe Betz, President of the International Chiropractors Association, joined us for a landmark Chiropractical episode focused on uniting the profession, advancing Medicare reform, and strengthening chiropractic's role in mainstream healthcare.

Posted in Press Releases on Wednesday, September 30, 2026

In a historic conversation for the chiropractic profession, American Chiropractic Association (ACA) President Dr. Kris Anderson and International Chiropractors Association (ICA) President Dr. Joe Betz joined Chiropractical host Jon Kec to discuss the organizations’ unprecedented collaboration and their shared legislative priority: modernizing Medicare coverage for chiropractic care.

The episode, ACA and ICA Unite for Chiropractic's Future, marks a rare joint appearance by the leaders of the profession’s two major national associations. After decades of differing approaches to advocacy, the ACA and ICA have spent more than a year working together toward a common legislative strategy.

At the center of that effort are H.R. 539 and S. 106, which seek to modernize Medicare coverage for chiropractic services. Under current Medicare rules, coverage for chiropractic care is limited to spinal manipulation, even though chiropractors may need to perform other services, such as examinations and X-rays, to evaluate patients and establish a care plan.

The proposed legislation would expand Medicare coverage to services within a chiropractor’s state-defined scope of practice, according to the organizations supporting the effort.

“We agree on the most important thing, and it’s that more people need to see their chiropractor and more people need to see a chiropractor first,” said Anderson. “We need to do everything we can as leaders in the profession to make sure that can happen.”

The collaboration was formally strengthened in July 2026 through a Memorandum of Understanding between the ACA and ICA, establishing a unified strategy around Medicare modernization. The effort has also brought together organizations through the Chiropractic Summit and other broader healthcare initiatives.

For Betz, the collaboration demonstrates what is possible when the profession focuses on common ground.

“We’re not asking the government or anybody else to force people to go to chiropractors,” said Betz. “We just want to break down the barriers that exist between the patient and us.”

The episode comes as Congress approaches key legislative deadlines, giving the chiropractic profession an opportunity to hear directly from both association presidents about the legislation, the significance of their collaboration and what the future could hold for chiropractic advocacy.

“This conversation is bigger than one bill,” said Kec. “It’s about what can happen when leaders with different histories and perspectives find common ground and work together on behalf of the profession.”

NCMIC has supported the Medicare modernization effort and continues to support initiatives that strengthen and advance the chiropractic profession. “Chiropractic is much stronger and more productive as a result of these collaborative efforts,” said NCMIC President Wayne Wolfson, DC. “NCMIC is proud to play an instrumental role in the process.”