Starting in 1999 and stemming over a 7-year period of time, Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Illinois participated in a study where chiropractors would serve as primary care physicians in its network. The results are not only verifiable they remain unrefuted to this day.
There were 700,000 enrollees in a Blue Cross/Blue Shield study in Illinois, that state’s largest managed care plan provider. This study used Doctors of Chiropractic as the primary care physicians for all participants in the study. The enrollees had to see their chiropractor at least 4 times a year. The test ran for two years.
Results
Hospitalization was reduced by approximately 60%.
They reduced outpatient surgery and procedures by approximately 85%.
Reduced pharmaceutical (drug) use by approximately 56%.
No C-section deliveries as compared to an average of 22% outside of this program.
The results of his study surprised even those who conducted it.
“I have always believed that the over utilization of pharmaceuticals and surgery, and the underutilization of more natural healing techniques, such as chiropractic, has been the cause of great suffering. Yet, I had no idea that magnitude of both clinical improvements and cost effectiveness would approach 50% in both cases”
Source
Clinical Utilization and Cost Outcomes from Integrative Medicine Independent Physician Association: An Additional 3-year Update” Richard L. Sarnat, MD, JMPT, May 2007
