H.R. 539 — Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2025

This section declares congressional findings that Medicare chiropractic coverage, established in 1972, is limited to manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation, lags behind private insurance and other federal health programs (e.g., VA, TRICARE, FEHB), and has not evolved with evidence of chiropractors' cost-effective outcomes and state licensure advances. The section states the Act's purpose of expanding recognition of doctors of chiropractic as physicians under Medicare for any state-authorized functions or actions, including such manual manipulation.

This section expands the definition of physician under Medicare Part B to include all services furnished by a doctor of chiropractic within the scope of their state license (previously limited to manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation) and establishes a payment limitation under Part B for such services unless the chiropractor is verified once by the Secretary—through attendance at a Secretary-designed educational documentation webinar or similar electronic product (or updated version thereof)—or the services are manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation. (As background, Medicare Part B covers physicians' services—including those by chiropractors—at 80% of reasonable charges after the annual deductible, subject to certain exceptions.)