CLICK HERE to review the announcement
The WARNING is related to the CCE's controversial Policy 56 which requires chiropractic colleges to report and make public so called "licensing exam rates" which effectively amount to pass rates on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) since the NBCE has an effective monopoly on such testing within the United States. Incredibly, the vast majority of states actually name the NBCE (a private non profit corporation which also houses a for profit) in state laws, rules and regulations and require passage of the controversial exams in order to get a license to practice. But they are not really "licensing exams" because passing them does not guarantee anyone a license and not all jurisdictions around the world require them.
Making matters even worse is that the NBCE has never produced any evidence that those who pass their exams are more competent or qualified to practice chiropractic, have better clinical outcomes, protect the public or do anything more than line the pockets of those sitting in the stream of student loan money that comes from the exams.
The NBCE which has long been mired in controversy regarding its activities and handling of finances derived from student loan money has been under heavy fire again lately and is seeking to refurbish its tarnished image. The NBCE, under the leadership of Karlos Boghosian DC, has embarked on a marketing campaign including a recent self aggrandizing article published by American Chiropractor magazine where none of these scandalous issues were addressed.
CLICK HERE for more history on the NBCE
Just recently, in an Open Letter addressed to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) a group of organizations that have signed on to a series of Resolutions calling for freedom in chiropractic education, accreditation, testing and regulation (https://chiropracticcartel.com/) calls on the NBCE Board of Directors to immediately begin working to remove any and all monopolistic language in any statute, law, rule, regulation and policy in any jurisdiction where it exists that allows the NBCE to enjoy a monopoly. The NBCE has ignored and not responded to the letter despite its claims to want a dialogue with the profession.
This recent decision by the CCE, which also enjoys a monopoly as the only chiropractic accrediting agency named in state statutes, rules and regulations, highlights the incestuous and monopolistic relationship between the CCE and the NBCE.
Graduates of chiropractic colleges cannot get licensed to practice unless they graduate from a CCE accredited school and they must also pass the state mandated NBCE exams (The NBCE says they are not competent until they say so). This is true even though the faculty, deans, President and Board of Trustees of the schools issue them a diploma certifying that they are competent to practice chiropractic and they do so through state charters. On top of that the CCE mandates the NBCE exams through its policies and its Standards - this recent action against LIFE highlights this "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" issue.
CLICK HERE for more on the Cartel
In its public Announcement about LIFE the CCE refers to its Policies and Standards as justification for the Warning Sanction. We are reminded of what attorney and Anne Neal JD stated in 2013 as she sat on the US Department of Education Committee deciding whether or not the CCE represented the profession and allowed for a diversity of philosophical thought and compared it to the Mafia:
"Now it may get to the broader issue which was raised earlier that in a monopoly situation, the climate of fear that we've been hearing about, that probably happens because frankly when you're accepting these standards in a monopoly situation, that's about as voluntary as accepting an offer from Tony Soprano, so I think that's the issue we really are dealing with here. But I'm very concerned that we've got to play fair with everyone, and I'm not sure we're playing fair or the Department is playing fair."
The Chiropractic Cartel has also been criticized for its attempts to change the very nature of chiropractic into the practice of primary care and moving chiropractic into allopathic procedures which is the bulk of what the NBCE exams are based on. This was recently highlighted by the actions of NBCE Board Member and Attorney Kim Driggers in Florida.
In Driggers case, it's the expansion of the scope of practice in Florida and recent efforts to keep the CCE's monopoly control in Florida.
Kimberly Driggers, J.D. has been on the Board of Directors for the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) since 2019. She practices law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and serves as the Assistant General Counsel for the Florida Chiropractic Association (FCA) She recently submitted a request to the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine (FBCM) to expand the scope of practice so it includes dry needling. Her testimony at that meeting resulted in the Florida Board deciding to open up the scope with the intention of not just adding dry needling but also injectables, muscle relaxers, steroid packs and trigger point injections. That process will begin at their November meeting.
Readers may recall that Driggers was also the central character in the FCA's attempt to keep the CCE's monopoly on chiropractic school accreditation in the state of Florida - claiming it was the "Gold Standard". This prompted many observers to remark that you can't be the so called "Gold Standard" if no one else is allowed to participate because you have a monopoly.
According to the CCE Announcement LIFE has until May 31, 2024 to provide a progress report.
CLICK HERE for more about LIFE's Accreditation issues
