Provincial austerity measures have triggered speculation over whether Manitoba Health will cut subsidies for chiropractor visits.

The Manitoba Chiropractors Association (MCA) acknowledges that Manitoba is the only province that still offers a universal subsidy for the service. That currently amounts to $12.10 of each bill to visit a chiropractor for the first 12 appointments.

The MCA has received no formal warning of a cut but said it’s well aware of the province’s focus to cut spending and reduce its deficit.

“We’re certainly not naive to the prospect that payment of certain chiropractic services might be on a list somewhere that’s being considered,” said Taras Luchak, the association’s executive director.

The province paid about $12 million for the service last year.

Luchak said a cut would be especially damaging for low-income families. In provinces that previously cut coverage, low-income patients became less likely to seek treatment than wealthier ones, he said.

“In general, yes, we’d be very concerned about loss of service for Manitobans,” he said.

So far, politicians haven’t offered much insight as to the future of the coverage. When asked Monday if it would be cut, Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen advised reporters to wait for the April 11 budget to find out.

Premier Brian Pallister said he personally values the service chiropractors provide but stopped short of making any commitment.

“I would say we’ve got to do our best to maintain the quality of service and the access to service at reasonable costs. That’s obviously a challenge that we have to face,” said Pallister.

Luchak notes the subsidy is geared specifically to chiropractic adjustments, while Manitoba’s 285 chiropractors can also charge fees for other services, including lifestyle advice, acupuncture and massage.

Meanwhile, MCA is reviewing reports that some provincial chiropractors made questionable claims about using chiropractic treatments for autism, cancer and other serious ailments online, as well as statements that lobby against taking vaccines.

“We take our role very seriously in terms of public protection but we won’t make a knee-jerk reaction to the materials that (were) presented,” said Luchak.

Potential penalties for wrong-doing can range from re-education to license suspensions, he added.

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