Member Resources

acupuncture; chiropractic philosophy and history; clinical diagnosis and examination procedures; diagnostic imaging; clinical documentation; electrodiagnostics; emergency procedures; ethics and/or professionalism; laboratory procedures; manipulation and adjusting procedures; neurology; nutrition; orthopedics; physiological therapeutics; principles and practice of chiropractic; professional boundaries; public health, hygiene, sanitation; rehabilitative procedures/exercise; risk management and other subjects related to the practice of chiropractic as deemed appropriate by the board. 

Approved Acupuncture CE topics: Programs comprised of topics that enhance acupuncture education and competency.

Licensees are required to earn 2 total hours of Board Mandated CE. Board Mandated CE may be earned on the topics of:

• Boundaries and/or Trauma Informed Care
• Human Traffickinf Awareness
• Laws & Rules of the Board

Click here for information on FREE Board Mandated CE!

* Ethics and professionalism are no longer Board Mandated CE topics.

• Must have significant intellectual or practical content;
• Primary objective must be to improve professional competence; 
• Topics of clinical benefit to consumers; 
• Instructors qualified by education or experience to provide instruction in the subject matter; 
• Presented in a setting suited to the educational activity of the program; 
• Content based upon scientific evidence generally accepted by the profession

Rule 4734-7-02 | Standards and requirements for continuing education

FAQ’s on the Board’s Website 

The impact of COVID -19 is creating change on a daily basis.  At this time, most are seeing less patients in their offices and some offices are closed completely.  Telehealth provides an opportunity to continue caring for patients while they are unable to come in to your office.

Is telehealth within your scope of practice?

Yes.  You must ensure that the standard of care is met for any service that is rendered.  For example, it would not be expected to render a CMT service through telehealth.  However, you could meet the standard of care when conducting a consultation or therapeutic exercise, for example.

Does the licensing board have specific requirements on how the telehealth visits must be conducted? (Synchronous, asynchronous, etc?) 

No.

Is telehealth HIPAA compliant?

Telehealth can be conducted in a HIPAA compliant manner.

Due to the current crisis HHS has issued a notice that additional applications will be allowed:  “Under this Notice, covered health care providers may use popular applications that allow for video chats, including Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts video, or Skype, to provide telehealth without risk that OCR might seek to impose a penalty for noncompliance with the HIPAA Rules related to the good faith provision of telehealth during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency.”

Use this link to read the full notice. 

Is telehealth covered by third party payers?

Ohio BWC does cover telehealth services. They updated their telehealth policy due to COVID-19,
“In response to the COVID-19 crisis, BWC is initiating temporary policy changes that will allow flexibility in the provision of care to injured workers. These changes will be effective until the state of emergency related to COVID-19 is lifted within the state where the injured worker resides.”

See the updated June 2022 policy here.

Ohio Medicaid

While Ohio Medicaid is allowing telehealth services, because chiropractic coverage within Medicaid is limited to CMT, spinal x-ray and acupuncture (with the added certificate), and those services cannot be rendered by telehealth, telehealth visits would not be reimbursed at this time.

Medicare

While Medicare is allowing telehealth services, because chiropractic coverage within Medicare is limited to CMT, and CMT cannot be rendered through a telehealth visit, this would not be a covered service within Medicare.  A patient with Medicare coverage can still choose to conduct a telehealth visit with you but you would want to provide voluntary advance notification of non-coverage of the service and notify the patient of their financial responsibility.

Current federal legislation, HR 3654 Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2019, if passed would allow DCs to practice to the full scope of their state license.  Reach out to your congressional leaders to co-sponsor this bill. 

Commercial payers

OSCA has reached out to Medical Mutual, Anthem, Aetna and United Healthcare to determine their policy on telehealth, including any crisis updates to those policies, and we have received some information, which you will see below. Specific questions asked include:

• Is telehealth covered?
• Is it covered for new patients?
• Do you have a written policy?  Policy updates?
• Do you requirements on how the visit is conducted? Audio, video, both, etc
• Reimbursement – is it the same as face to face services?

Anthem

Telehealth (video + audio) 

For 90 days effective March 17, 2020, Anthem’s affiliated health plans will waive member cost shares for telehealth visits, including visits for mental health or substance use disorders, for our fully insured employer plans, Individual plans, Medicare plans and Medicaid plans, where permissible. Cost sharing will be waived for members using Anthem’s authorized telemedicine service, LiveHealth Online, as well as care received from other providers delivering virtual care through internet video + audio services. Self-insured plan sponsors may opt out of this program.

Telephonic-only care

For 90 days effective March 19, 2020, Anthem’s affiliated health plans will cover telephonic-only visits with in-network providers. Out-of-network coverage will be provided where required. This includes covered visits for mental health or substance use disorders and medical services, for our fully insured employer plans, individual plans, Medicare plans and Medicaid plans, where permissible. Cost shares will be waived for in-network providers only.  Exceptions include chiropractic services, physical, occupational, and speech therapies. These services require face-to-face interaction and therefore are not appropriate for telephone-only consultations. Self-insured plan sponsors may opt out of this program.

**OSCA has requested that Anthem reconsider their exclusion of chiropractic services when rendering telephonic-only care and has shared that consultation and condition management, including recommendations for modifications of ADL’s, ergonomic suggestions, exercise prescription, and home care recommendations, can all be delivered via telephone and should be considered under the current crisis requiring modified health care delivery models.

Use this link for more information on Anthem COVID updates.

Aetna

Aetna has created provider updates to address COVID-19 including Telehealth services.  They are also directing providers to log on to NaviNet and Availity for their policy on telehealth:

• Link 1
• Link 2

Availity has created a compilation of payer communications and policy updates related to COVID19.  You can access these by logging onto your Availity provider portal.

Medical Mutual

COVID-19 FAQ’s for Providers

Telehealth How-to Webinars

ChiroUp:  https://www.youtube.com/embed/KOGUsUwrxR0?rel=0

Best Practices Academy: a free module specifically on Telehealth for chiropractors.

NCMIC: Covid 19 Webinar

Animal chiropractors specialize in treating the neurological and musculoskeletal systems of animals by performing adjustments to their joints and vertebrae to alleviate pain, restore balance, and improve performance. Patients may include pets, zoo animals, livestock, and racehorses.

In Ohio, “Animal chiropractic” means the evaluation and treatment of an animal’s vertebral or extremity joint dysfunction through spinal, joint, or musculo-skeletal manipulative therapy or soft tissue therapy.

Please read the following Ohio State Board rules regarding the practice of Animal Chiropractic below:

Animal Chiropractic State Board Rules

• ONLY chiropractors who meet the following requirements will be considered able to meet the recommended standards of care and able to independently clear youth athletes to return to play.

1. Diplomate in Chiropractic Neurology 
2. Diplomate in Chiropractic Sports Medicine
3. Certified Chiropractic Sports Physicians who are listed on the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians National Concussion Registry .

• All other licensed health care professionals (i.e. DCs) must work in coordination or consultation with a physician (MD or DO) as written in House Bill 143.

• Providers will diagnose and treat concussion in athletes participating in youth sports in accordance with the most recent Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (currently the 4th International Conference on Concussion held in Zurich, November 2012) or with nationally accepted standards and guidelines consistent with that statement. These Standards of Care will also determine the best practice for return to play clearance protocol.
• Due to the rapidly changing evidence base of concussion management in youth athletes, the Committee encourages licensed healthcare professionals in Ohio who treat concussed athletes to maintain a level of continuing education that keeps pace with this evolving issue. The Committee further encourages licensing boards to recommend to their respective licensees a model level of continuing education that is consistent with the continuing education recommendations reflected in the most recent Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (currently the 4th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, held in Zurich, November 2012) or with nationally accepted standards and guidelines consistent with that statement.
  

Get more information on this issue here.   

Ohio Revised Code:  Concussion Management Rule for Chiropractors

4734-8-09 Concussion management.

(A) General population.

(1) Each licensee who assesses, diagnoses and/or treats concussed patients shall do so in accordance with nationally accepted standards and guidelines.

(2) Each licensee who assesses, diagnoses and/or treats concussed patients shall maintain a level of continuing education that keeps pace with the evolving topic of concussion management.

(3) Licensees may do all of the following in regard to concussion management:

(a) Assess;

(b) Diagnose;

(c) Treat;

(d) Grant clearance to return to activities of daily living;

(e) Consult with, refer to, or collaborate with other licensed healthcare providers.

(B) Youth sports participants.

(1) As used in section 3707.51 of the Revised Code, “youth sports organization” means a public or nonpublic entity that organizes an athletic activity in which the athletes are not more than nineteen years of age and are required to pay a fee to participate in the athletic activity or whose cost to participate is sponsored by a business or nonprofit organization.

(2) As used in this section, “physician” means a person authorized under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery.

(3) Diagnosis and treatment

(a) Each licensee who treats youth sports participants shall diagnose and treat concussions in accordance with the “Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport” issued by the fourth “International Conference on Concussion in Sport” held in Zurich, November 2012 (available from the website of the state chiropractic board at: http://www.chirobd.ohio.gov) or with nationally accepted standards and guidelines consistent with that statement.

(b) Each licensee who assesses, diagnoses and/or treats concussed patients shall maintain a level of continuing education that keeps pace with the evolving topic of concussion management.

(4) Assessment and clearance

Subject to the exemptions provided in paragraph (B)(5) of this rule, licensees shall only make an assessment and/or grant clearance to a youth sports participant to return to play:

(a) In consultation with a physician;

(b) Pursuant to the referral of a physician;

(c) In collaboration with a physician;

(d) Under the supervision of a physician.

(5) A licensee with one or more of the following current credentials is exempt from the provisions of paragraph (B)(4) of this rule and may assess and/or grant a clearance to return to play to a youth sports participant:

(a) Diplomate in chiropractic neurology recognized by the american chiropractic neurology board;

(b) Diplomate in chiropractic sports medicine recognized by the american chiropractic board of sports physicians;

(c) Certified chiropractic sports physician recognized by the american chiropractic board of sports physicians and listed on the american chiropractic board of sports physicians national concussion registry.

Effective: 11/19/2015
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 11/19/2020
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 3707.521, 4734.10
Rule Amplifies: 3313.539, 3707.511