SB 762

This bill establishes a licensure program for primary spinal care practitioners

to be administered by the Spinal Medicine Affiliated Credentialing Board, which is

created in the bill and attached to the Medical Examining Board. The affiliated

credentialing board consists of three primary spinal care practitioners, one

physician licensed by the Medical Examining Board, and one public member, all of

whom serve staggered four-year terms.

Under the bill, a primary spinal care practitioner is an individual who

possesses the degree of doctor of chiropractic medicine or equivalent degree as

determined by the affiliated credentialing board. The bill defines "spinal medicine"

in relevant part as the integration and application of the practice of chiropractic and

the practice of medicine and surgery, both as defined under current law, that is

limited to conditions of the spine and the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and

nervous systems. The practice of spinal medicine does not include surgery or, unless

under the direction of a physician, the administration of a general anesthetic.

Under the bill, and subject to certain exceptions, a person may practice spinal

medicine in Wisconsin only if he or she is licensed by the affiliated credentialing

board as a primary spinal care practitioner. The affiliated credentialing board may

grant a license to practice spinal medicine to an applicant who, among other things,

has practiced as a licensed chiropractor in good standing with the Chiropractic

Examining Board for at least two years and has a degree of doctor of spinal medicine

or equivalent degree from a program in chiropractic medicine approved by the

affiliated credentialing board. A licensed primary spinal care practitioner must keep

current his or her chiropractor license with the Chiropractic Examining Board.

The bill requires the affiliated credentialing board to establish continuing

education requirements for licensed primary spinal care practitioners and

authorizes up to 80 percent of those hours to count toward the continuing education

requirements for a chiropractor license held with the Chiropractic Examining Board.

The bill requires at least 50 percent of those hours to include evidence-based

pharmacology and medical procedures-based training. Under the bill, a licensed

primary spinal care practitioner has authority to prescribe and administer

prescription drugs.

The bill requires primary spinal care practitioners to maintain specific levels

of malpractice liability insurance coverage and establishes various requirements

with respect to fee splitting and billing for services. Those malpractice insurance,

fee splitting, and billing requirements, as well as other requirements in the bill, are

substantially similar to the requirements for podiatrists under current law.

The bill also treats primary spinal care practitioners similar to chiropractors

in some respects. For example, the bill requires primary spinal care practitioners to

refer a patient to a physician if the primary spinal care practitioner determines that

the patient's condition is beyond the scope of the practice of spinal medicine. Also,