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During the legislative session, your government relations team worked to implement the strategic plan which included three major components:
• An increase in Medicaid reimbursements for Chiropractic services.
• Further statutory recognition of the benefit of Chiropractic care to successfully treat patients who experience pain without the use of narcotics.
• Reduce the period by which health insurers can “clawback” payments to medical professionals such as Chiropractic Physicians.
Medicaid Rate Increase
The government relations team succeeded with this priority; the budget for fiscal year 2027 contains an extra $30 million for increased Medicaid reimbursements (Senate Bill 1, Public Act 26-68). The work will continue to ensure that Doctors of Chiropractic are in the tranche of providers who receive a higher reimbursement starting in 2027. Under the terms of a bill passed this session, the Department of Social Services (DSS) will submit their proposed allocations of these funds to the appropriate legislative committees this Fall for review (House Bill 5561).
This progress builds on our success in recent years to obtain reimbursement in Medicaid for the patient’s initial visit together with a reasonable evaluation and management payment. We want to thank Nick Karapasas, DC, and Frank Vesci, DC, for testifying, once again, to legislative committees on the Medicaid issue.
Non-Narcotic Treatment of Pain
The government relations team succeeded with this priority as Chiropractic is specifically referenced in a new provision in Medicaid that non-narcotic treatments must be considered by prescribers. Below is the language from the provision in House Bill 5561, Section 4:
(b) A prescribing practitioner who prescribes an opioid drug for the treatment of a Medicaid beneficiary's pain shall consider the feasibility of nonopioid
treatment options, including, but not limited to, chiropractic treatment, spinal cord stimulation, acupuncture and physical therapy.
The provision builds on the existing statute, Section 20-14s that relates to chronic pain (lasting 12 weeks or more) that specifically lists Chiropractic as one of the modalities. The new provision would capture “acute” pain as well in the Medicaid program. We want to thank James Lehman, DC, for his expertise on this issue as presented in testimony at the public hearing, and for presenting on the issue to the Connecticut Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee at their January 13, 2026 meeting.
Reducing the “Clawback” Period
As CCPA members know, health insurers under state law have 18 months to go back and recoup payments from chiropractic physicians and other medical providers. The government relations team has made reducing this period a priority in recent years. Last year, for instance, our coalition provision passed one chamber. We came back this session with a proposal that had the full support of the House chair of the Insurance and Real Estate committee, state Rep. Kerry Wood, to reduce the period from 18 months to 12 months. Your government relations team prevailed and the new, reduced limit was enacted into law and will take effect in January 2027.
The team had met with Rep. Wood early in the session and CCPA president Nick Karapasas, DC, made an excellent case for the change (House Bill 5377, Public Act 26-56).
Adverse Proposals Derailed
While it is important to advocate for passage of positive legislation, it is equally important to stop those that would hurt the profession. Below are additional details on several of the issues outlined as protected at the beginning of this report. Below are details on three such successes this 2026 legislative session.
• No bill was introduced to prohibit Chiropractic Physicians, and several other professions, from using the title “physician.” As CCPA members may recall, this was introduced in recent years and was characterized as one of the most acrimonious public hearings that observers recalled in the Public Health committee.
• No bill was introduced that would amend or repeal Chiropractic coverage mandates currently in statute. For instance, Section 38a-507 (Coverage for services performed by chiropractors. Individual health insurance plans) and Section 38a-534 (Coverage for services performed by chiropractors. Group health insurance plans) require that a health plan must cover Chiropractic if they cover a medical doctor licensed under chapter 370 for comparable services.
Separately, Section 38a-1086(1) requires that all health plans on the state’s exchange adhere to Chapter 700 coverage mandates. This provision has been hailed by the ACA as a national model. Without these three statutes, Chiropractic could easily be dropped from health insurance plans. The government relations team is pleased to report that, once again, we have successfully protected Doctors of Chiropractic from encroachment to these “anchor” provisions.
• The Physical Therapists’ proposal for scope of practice expansions was considered last year by a scope of practice committee review at the Department of Public Health. They sought to end guidelines and restraints on their practice act that were enacted in 2006 when they gained direct access to patients. One of the safeguards was enhanced qualifications before a PT could perform manipulations. Matt Pagano, DC, and Nick Karapasas, DC, represented the CCPA on this important scope of practice review panel. Despite clearing the scope of practice review process, the Public Health committee declined to raise their proposal in legislation this session. We can expect them to regroup and try again in 2027.
Other Bills of Interest
• Legislation was passed to create a $30 million fund for graduate student loans for students affected by federal budget cuts (Senate Bill 1, Public Act 26-68).
• Legislation was passed to limit the ways that medical credit cards can be marketed by medical professionals (House Bill 5127, Public Act 26-6).
• Legislation to cancel initial license fees and license renewal fees for certain medical professions did not pass. We were working to add Chiropractic to this list, but the revenue loss of the broader approach caused it to be eliminated (Senate Bill 84 passed, but without the provision.)
• Legislation was passed to require medical offices, as of January 1, 2027, to apprise patients at their initial visit of the amount of time patient records will be retained as well as how the patient can request copies (House Bill 5514, Section 4).
As part of the process, the government relations team set up meetings for CCPA this session with the Department of Insurance, Connecticut Health Care Advocate and legislative leaders including the House chair of the Insurance and Real Estate committee. CCPA president, Nick Karapasas, DC, used this opportunity to raise concerns and issues with these key state officials, such as an opt-out from insurer payments being made by internet credit card.
We want to thank the CCPA board of directors, CCPA president, Nick Karapasas, DC, Claire Frisbie, DC, CCPA Executive Director, and CCPA Attorney Mary Alice Leonhardt for their assistance with the legislative program through this session. We are already at work on several issues that will occur during the interim as far as working groups on a number of healthcare issues and look forward to preparing for the 2027 legislative session. As always, it is a pleasure to advocate for Connecticut’s outstanding Chiropractic Physicians.
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