GCA's Legislative Successes

The Georgia Chiropractic Association has been fighting for chiropractic rights since 1912 and has some of the following milestones include:

1921 - Chiropractic Practice Act passed.

1967 - Insurance equality bill introduced; would not pass until 1980.

1972 - Medicare begins covering chiropractic care; GCA member Dr. Hoyt Duke testified in front of Congress for inclusion, and Dr. D.N. Parkerson urges chiropractors in his area to convince Rep. Williamson Sylvester Stuckey, Jr. to sponsor the Medicare bill.

1976 - Chiropractic Political Action Committee (CPAC) formed; Dr. Joseph Bishop serves as first president.

1979 - GCA hires Aubrey Villines as lobbyist.

1980 - Insurance equality passed in Georgia.

1991 - Georgia Chiropractic Association Political Action Committee (GCA-PAC) is incorporated July 18.

2006 - Georgia's Attorney General rules doctors of chiropractic may refer for MRIs.

2007 - Chiropractic Scope of Practice expanded in Georgia.

2009 - Georgia Supreme Court finds there are no statutory requirements for doctors of chiropractic to obtain a patient's informed consent. GCA General Counsel Aubrey Villines contributed to the case.

2011 - Georgia General Assembly passes legislation stating only doctors of chiropractic can provide chiropractic adjustments and chiropractic services.

2011 - Georgia General Assembly passes legislation that third party administrators must comply with existing prompt pay statutes.

2012 Worked to defeat S.B. 445 that would have taken the power to approve licenses, make rules and discipline D.C.s from the Board of Examiners and given it to a seven-member board of consumers appointed by the governor.

2014 Successfully opposed H.B. 971, which would have mandated that D.C.s wear a name badge with their degree on it whenever they interacted with patients.

2015 Successful in exempting D.C.s from H.B. 416, a bill proposed by the Medical Association of Georgia that would require health care providers to wear a name badge identifying their degree. GCA opposed this bill for the past two years.

2015 Successfully struck language from the Physical Therapy Scope Bill that stated only physical therapists may practice and bill for physiotherapy and allowed PTs to order imaging.

2017 GCA Board Member Dr. Karen Mathiak is sworn in as the first chiropractor in the Georgia House of Representatives.

2018 Successfully opposed the expansion of the Massage Therapy Scope of Practice.

2019 GCA General Counsel Aubrey Villines helps win a verdict that D.C.s may refer for MRI, upholding the 2006 opinion of Georgia’s attorney general. Click here for the ruling.

2020 Successfully opposed legislation that would have removed the $400 cap on business licenses, preventing a potential increase in fees for doctors of chiropractic.

2020 Passed fair copay legislation that states copays must be reasonable and serve as an incentive to care.  Representative Karen Mathiak, D.C. worked diligently with Governor Brian Kemp to confirm chiropractors of Georgia were essential workers during the COVID pandemic to keep Georgians safe. Also, doctors of Chiropractic were included in COVID legislation protecting them from liability.

2021 Passed a bill that allows D.C.s to more easily form a corporation with M.D.s.

2022 Successfully opposed legislation that would have allowed athletic trainers to treat all injuries; not just those sustained during athletic events.

2023 Effectively opposed attempt to limit chiropractors from being called "Dr."

2023 Passed legislation adding doctors of chiropractic to Georgia's lien statute.  Passing the lien statute helped GCA in being awarded the 2023 State Association of the Year in recognition of the outstanding contributions to the profession, Georgia Chiropractors and ChiroCongress.