On September 7th, 2018 The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act of 2017 unanimously passed through the senate. This bill, affectionately known to the sports chiropractic community as the Travel-to-Treat bill, is awaiting its final approval in the US House of Representatives, where the president will sign it into law. The bill “extends the liability insurance coverage of a state-licensed medical professional to another state when the professional provides medical services to an athlete, athletic team, or team staff member”. This means that many chiropractors involved in the sports industry are now able to be covered by their insurance, no matter where their job takes them. This is a relief not only for chiropractors involved with professional sports teams, but for any chiropractor who intends to travel for work.
Chiropractic care in a sport setting has shown to be increasingly helpful in treating a variety of conditions. Having a chiropractor on the field who can help diagnose and treat acute injuries, allows athletes to return to play more quickly. For example, see this article about an athlete at a Taekwondo competition who was injured, treated by a chiropractor, and able to return to their match. As well as this article about a chiropractors role in treating patients with concussions. Chiropractors can also be a helpful part of a multi-disciplinary team as seen in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The passing of the Travel-to-Treat bill is an exciting and huge step towards advancing the role that chiropractors play within the health care system.