RALEIGH – The executive director and the board president of the North Carolina Chiropractic Association (NCCA) each issued statements relating to former NC House Speaker Jim Black’s guilty plea to accepting cash from three chiropractors while pushing legislation they supported.
“While the NCCA has not engaged in any illegal activity nor been accused of any illegal or unethical conduct, we believe that the alleged misconduct of a few chiropractors is raising questions about our profession and association,” said Tom Schoenvogel, executive director of NCCA. “For the record, the NCCA was shocked to learn of these allegations and was in no way involved in and certainly did not endorse or encourage any alleged fund-raising misconduct among our members in an effort to sway legislation.”
Schoenvogel added that the purported misconduct of a few in the profession should not reflect on the 1,000 plus chiropractic physicians providing invaluable healthcare for consumers across North Carolina. “One of the key missions of the NCCA is to promote high ethical standards,” he said, noting that the organization has a process in place to address questionable ethical activities by any of its members.
As with all Political Action Committees (PAC), activities of the Chiropractic PAC are regulated by the North Carolina Board of Elections. Schoenvogel noted that the Chiropractic PAC is and has always been in good standing. The CPAC has never made any cash donations to elected officials or candidates, and its donations and activities are a matter of public record.
At stake for consumers is whether or not the 2005 law prohibiting higher insurance co-pays for chiropractic care will be allowed to stand. Dr. R. Todd Shaver, NCCA board president from Wilmington, noted that the legislation was developed with consumer needs in mind. “Healthcare consumers who choose to utilize chiropractic services should not have to pay a penalty to see a chiropractic physician rather than a medical physician,” he said. “And consumers are the ones who will lose if recent talk to repeal the law becomes a reality.”
News media contact:
Tom Schoenvogel, Executive Director, NCCA ,
919-832-0611,
toms@ncchiropractic.com
