Gift-filingconcernsrise - Arizona Chiropractic Society

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011 | $1.00
GOP push
to slash
trillions a
2012 risk
FIESTA BOWL UNDER FIRE
Gift-filing concerns rise
Lawmakers alter disclosures as lax oversight is questioned
By Ginger Rough
The Arizona Republic
The Fiesta Bowl scandal has exposed what good-government groups
say is a key weakness in Arizona’s financial-disclosure laws: The state is
one of only 10 nationwide that doesn’t
have an independent agency tasked
with reviewing or policing the reports filed annually by lawmakers.
In the past week, eight state lawmakers have filed amended reports
with the Secretary of State’s Office
or other local agencies, acknowledging that they accepted gifts in excess
of $500 from the Fiesta Bowl and its
representatives.
In some cases, the modifications
reflect gifts received years ago.
Their urgency to alter the reports
comes after the release of a 276-page
MEETING SET
WITH NCAA
investigative report commissioned
by the Special Committee of the
Fiesta Bowl. The report on the bowl’s
financial, political and lobbying activities states that Fiesta Bowl employees went on at least seven trips
with politicians in recent years and
listed more than a dozen former and
current state lawmakers who joined
The Fiesta Bowl
will meet later
this month with
an NCAA panel
that will decide
whether the
bowl keeps its
operating
license. A8
See DISCLOSURES, Page A8
•
Sweeping cuts would
target health programs
By Lori Montgomery
Washington Post
WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled an
ambitious and politically perilous
plan to resize the government and
stem the $14 trillion national debt
by slashing spendANALYSIS ing on domestic
programs and fundamentally overhauling government health programs.
The 2012 budget blueprint would
not touch Social Security, the single
largest federal program, which
provides income support to nearly
60 million seniors, disabled people
and others. But with the cost of benefits expected to exceed revenue
this year, Republicans say they
would enact legislation to force
President Barack Obama to propose changes to “restore balance to
the fund.” Suggested reforms include adjusting the retirement age
to reflect longer life spans and
slowing the growth in benefits for
higher-income workers.
Chiropractors may be
IN A PINCH
Practitioners fear tougher scrutiny by 2 major insurers
will lead to fewer visits by patients, loss of income
See BUDGET, Page A4
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Danielle Adams, who scored 30
points, celebrates Texas A&M’s
national title. MICHAEL CONROY/AP
Texas A&M
wins women’s
championship
Thomas Blankenbaker works with Emily Indomenico at a Nautilus-like machine at the Spine & Disc Medical Center in Phoenix. Don
Dearth (top right) is a certified chiropractic sports physician in Tempe. MICHAEL SCHENNUM (ABOVE) AND NICK OZA (TOP)/THE REPUBLIC
By Ken Alltucker
The Arizona Republic
Chiropractors say that changes in payment
policies by two major private health-insurance companies could slash their income, reduce patient visits and even force some practitioners out of business.
One industry group has funded a lawsuit
against the director of the Arizona Department of Insurance that seeks to force the
agency to halt what chiropractors describe as
insurers’ unfair payment practices and differ-
ent standards for chiropractors compared
with medical and osteopathic physicians.
The issue involves an arcane change in how
health-insurance companies manage benefits
for chiropractic services. But the dispute
demonstrates how increasingly cost-conscious insurers and alternative-health providers can clash over issues of payment and what
care is medically necessary for patients.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and
Cigna HealthCare of Arizona Inc. have outSee MEDICAL, Page A7
PRACTICE FALTERING
The number of licensed chiropractors has dropped over the past two
years because of the economy.
Texas A&M outlasted Notre Dame in
a back-and-forth battle to win its first
NCAA women’s national basketball
championship Tuesday.
Danielle Adams scored 22 of her 30
points in a dominating second half,
helping the Aggies rally from seven
down to win 76-70 in Indianapolis.
“I knew they couldn’t stop me inside,
so that’s what I did. I took it inside,”
the 6-foot-1 Adams said. Sports, C1
2,759 2,682 2,645
Fiscal ’09
Fiscal ’10
Fiscal ’11
Figures include active and suspended
licenses.
Source: Arizona Board of Chiropractic
Examiners
Giffords’ surgeon takes fame in stride
By Ken Alltucker
The Arizona Republic
Chatting with President Barack
Obama or New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is one thing, but Dr.
Peter Rhee knew he had achieved a
new level of recognition during a recent shopping trip at a Tucson-area
Home Depot.
Rhee was shopping the aisles
when a 9-year-old boy stopped him
with a question: Are you the doctor
who helped all those people who were
shot?
Rhee nodded and thanked the boy
and his parents.
‘The celebrity status is continually
there,” Rhee said. “It’s there when I
see a 9-year-old boy come up to me
and ask, ‘Are you Dr. Rhee?’ ”
As trauma director of University
Medical Center in Tucson, Rhee became the most visible face of the hospital’s small army of doctors, nurses
and medical workers who worked
round-the-clock to treat U.S. Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of the Jan. 8 shooting.
Since the tragedy, Rhee has been
thrust into other roles, from lobbyist
See RHEE, Page A6
Nuke plant stops
leak into ocean
Recipes celebrate
Arizona centennial
Workers at Japan’s damaged nuclearpower plant stem a tide of radiation
pouring into the Pacific Ocean. With
high levels of contamination at the
shoreline, the government sets limits
for the first time on the amount of
radiation permitted in fish. A11
The Stockyards, a Phoenix restaurant
that opened in 1947 in what was then
the largest cattle feedlot in the world,
introduces a menu to honor Arizona’s
centennial and shares the recipes, including one for a mixed-berry crumb pie
a la mode from Rock Springs Cafe. FD1
VALLEY & STATE
SPORTS
BUSINESS
Environmental settlement: Fisher
Sand & Gravel and its subsidiary,
Southwest Asphalt, will pay about
$125,000 to settle 80 environmental
violations at its Arizona plants. B1
Hitting woes: With three of the Diamondbacks’ better hitters off to slow
starts, the team has fallen one key hit
short in its three defeats, including
Tuesday’s 6-5 loss to the Cubs. C1
Good news for US Airways: A key
revenue indicator for the Tempe-based
airline rose in March, propelled by more
passengers as well as fare hikes meant to
offset the rising cost of jet fuel. D1
Lottery . . . . . . . . B2
Obituaries B3, 6, 7
Opinions . . . . B4, 5
121st year,
No. 323.
There’s potential
for showers. B8
Astrology . . FD5
Comics . . FD6, 7
Dear Abby . FD5
3 MONTHS
LATER
Dr. Peter Rhee has gained national
recognition for his role in helping the
Jan. 8 shooting victims. THE REPUBLIC
The Arizona Republic this week
is reporting on
how those
caught up in the
Jan. 8 shooting
near Tucson are
coping.
FOOD & DRINK
NATION & WORLD
High 84
Low 65
TUCSON
TRAGEDY
Sports TV . . . C2
Television. . FD5
Valley 101 . . . B8
Classified: Great deals in CareerBuilder, CL1, behind Cars.
Copyright 2011,
The Arizona
Republic
®
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