Wisconsin Code § 446.02

Chiropractic regulated
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(1) Except as provided in
sub. (9), no person may engage in the practice of chiropractic or
attempt to do so or hold himself or herself out as authorized to do
so, unless such person satisfies all of the following:
(a) Is licensed by the examining board.
(b) Submits evidence satisfactory to the examining board that
the person meets the requirements of continuing education for license renewal as the examining board may require, which requirements shall include current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction.
The person shall include the approval number assigned under
sub. (5) (b) to each educational program completed by the person
to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph. During the time between initial licensure and commencement of a full 2-year licensure period new licensees shall not be required to meet continuing education requirements. Any person who has not engaged in
the practice of chiropractic for 2 years or more, while holding a
valid license under this chapter, and desiring to engage in such
practice, shall be required by the examining board to complete a
continuing education course at a school of chiropractic approved
by the examining board or pass a practical examination administered by the examining board or both.
(2) (a) The examining board shall grant a license to engage in
the practice of chiropractic to a qualified person who submits an

application for the license to the department on a form provided
by the department, accompanied by satisfactory evidence of completion of the educational requirements established in the rules
promulgated under par. (b), passes the examinations described
under sub. (3) and pays the license fee specified in s. 440.05 (1).
(b) The examining board shall promulgate rules establishing
educational requirements for obtaining a license under par. (a).
The rules shall require that an application for the license that is
received by the department after June 30, 1998, be accompanied
by satisfactory evidence that the applicant satisfies all of the
following:
1. Has a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an accrediting body listed as nationally recognized by
the secretary of the federal department of education.
2. Has graduated from a college of chiropractic approved by
the examining board.
3. Has current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education approved
under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction.
4. Has successfully completed the examinations required under sub. (3).
(c) 1. The examining board shall issue a certificate to a chiropractor who is licensed under this chapter, who submits satisfactory evidence that the chiropractor has completed 48 hours of
postgraduate study in nutrition that is approved by the examining
board, and who pays a one-time certificate fee of $25, except that
no certificate fee is required under this subdivision for an individual who is eligible for the veterans fee waiver program under s.
45.44.
2. The examining board shall approve under subd. 1. a program of postgraduate study in nutrition provided by a program
sponsor, as defined in s. 446.028 (1), if the program of postgraduate study in nutrition satisfies all of the requirements established
by the examining board by rule for such a program.
(3) The examining board shall require each applicant for licensure to successfully complete the following examinations:
(b) Parts I, II, III, and IV of the examination administered by
the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. An applicant successfully completes Part III of that examination if the applicant
scores at least 375 on that part. An applicant successfully completes Part IV of that examination if the applicant scores at least
375 on that part.
(c) An examination approved by the examining board that
tests the applicant’s knowledge of the laws of this state relating to
the practice of chiropractic, including the provisions of this chapter and any rules promulgated by the examining board under this
section.
(3g) (a) The examining board may grant a license to practice
chiropractic to an individual who is licensed in good standing to
practice chiropractic in another state or territory of the United
States or in another country if the applicant presents the license to
the examining board, pays the fee specified in s. 440.05 (2) and
meets the requirements established in rules promulgated under
par. (b).
(b) The examining board shall promulgate rules establishing
additional requirements for obtaining a license under par. (a), including a requirement that each person licensed under this subsection has current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education approved
under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction.
(3r) The examining board may promulgate rules providing for
the granting of a temporary permit to practice chiropractic to an
individual who is licensed to practice chiropractic in another state
or territory of the United States or in another country, and establishing requirements for practicing chiropractic under a temporary permit. Any rules promulgated under this subsection shall
require an individual seeking a temporary permit under this subsection to submit evidence satisfactory to the examining board
that the individual has current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction.
(4) The renewal date for all licenses granted by the examining
board is specified under s. 440.08 (2) (a), and the renewal fee for
such licenses is determined by the department under s. 440.03 (9)
(a).
(5) (a) The examining board shall keep a complete record of
all applications, examinations, licenses, fees and proceedings.
(b) The examining board shall assign a unique approval number to each continuing education program approved by the examining board under s. 446.028.
(6) No person may practice chiropractic in this state under
any other given name or any other surname than that under which
he or she was originally licensed or registered to practice chiropractic in this or any other state in any instance in which the examining board, after a hearing, finds that practicing under the
changed name operates to unfairly compete with another practitioner or to mislead the public as to identity or to otherwise result
in detriment to the profession or the public. This subsection does
not apply to a change of name resulting from marriage or divorce.
(6m) No chiropractor may provide counsel, direction, guidance, advice, or a recommendation to a patient regarding the
health effects of vitamins, herbs, or nutritional supplements unless the chiropractor has been issued a certificate under sub. (2)
(c) 1. This subsection does not apply to a chiropractor licensed
under this chapter who is a certified dietitian, as defined in s.
448.70 (1m).
(7) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (d), a chiropractor
who is licensed under this chapter may delegate to a person who
is not licensed under this chapter the performance of adjunctive
services if the services are performed by any of the following under the direct, on-premises supervision of the chiropractor:
1. A chiropractic technician.
2. A health care professional.
3. An individual who has completed a training program for
medical assistants accredited by the National Commission for
Certifying Agencies, a national or state medical association, or
another entity approved by the examining board.
(b) A chiropractor may not delegate to a person who is not licensed under this chapter the making of a diagnosis, the performance of a chiropractic adjustment, the analysis of a diagnostic
test or clinical information or any practice or service that the examining board, by rule, prohibits a chiropractor from delegating
to a person who is not licensed under this chapter.
(c) A chiropractor who delegates the performance of a service
that is adjunctive to the practice of chiropractic to a person who is
not licensed under this chapter shall verify, according to standards and procedures established by the examining board by rule,
that the person has adequate education, training and experience
to perform the delegated service safely, and is responsible for that
person’s performance of the delegated service.
(d) A chiropractor may delegate X-ray services only to a chiropractic radiological technician or a health care professional acting within the scope of his or her license, registration, or
certification.
(7d) (a) A chiropractor shall evaluate each patient before
commencing treatment of the patient to determine whether the

patient has a condition that is treatable by the practice of chiropractic. The evaluation shall be based upon an examination that
is appropriate to the patient. To conduct the evaluation, the chiropractor shall utilize chiropractic science, as defined by the examining board by rule, and the principles of education and training
of the chiropractic profession.
(b) A chiropractor shall discontinue the practice of chiropractic on a patient if, at any time after the evaluation under par. (a) or
during or following treatment of the patient, the chiropractor determines or reasonably believes that the patient’s condition is not
treatable by the practice of chiropractic, or will not respond to
further practice of chiropractic by the chiropractor, except that a
chiropractor may provide maintenance, supportive, and wellness
care to the patient if the patient is being treated by another health
care professional.
(c) A chiropractor who discontinues the practice of chiropractic as required in par. (b) shall inform the patient of the reason for
discontinuing the practice of chiropractic and shall refer the patient to a physician licensed under subch. II of ch. 448. A chiropractor may continue to provide maintenance, supportive, and
wellness care to a patient referred under this paragraph who requests these services from the chiropractor. A referral under this
paragraph shall describe the chiropractor’s findings. If the referral is written, the chiropractor shall provide the patient with a
copy and shall maintain a copy in the patient’s records. If the referral is oral, the chiropractor shall communicate the referral directly to the physician, shall notify the patient about the referral,
and shall make a written record of the oral referral. The written
record of the oral referral shall include the name of the physician
to whom the patient was referred and the date of the referral. The
chiropractor shall maintain a copy of the written record of the
oral referral in the patient’s records.
(7m) (a) A chiropractor shall create and maintain a patient
record for every patient the chiropractor examines or treats. A patient record created and maintained under this paragraph shall
contain complete and comprehensive health care information, as
defined by the examining board by rule.
(b) A chiropractor shall preserve a patient record created and
maintained under par. (a) for at least 3 years after the chiropractor
makes his or her last entry or notation in the patient record or for
any longer period that is otherwise required by law.
(8) Every practicing chiropractor shall have in effect professional liability insurance. The examining board shall promulgate
rules establishing the minimum amount of insurance required under this subsection.
(9) No license under this chapter is required for any of the
following:
(a) A student or graduate of a college of chiropractic who
practices chiropractic, in a program for the clinical training of students and graduates that is reviewed and approved by the examining board, under the supervision of a chiropractor who is approved by the examining board to supervise the clinical training
of the student or graduate and who is licensed under this chapter
and is responsible for the student’s or graduate’s practice in an infirmary, clinic, hospital or private chiropractic office that is connected or associated for training purposes with a college of chiropractic approved by the examining board.
(b) An individual who is licensed to practice chiropractic in
another state or territory of the United States and who practices
chiropractic under the jurisdiction of the U.S. armed forces, as
defined in s. 40.02 (57m), federal public health service or U.S.
department of veterans affairs.
(c) An individual who is licensed to practice chiropractic in
another state or territory of the United States or in another country and who holds a temporary permit that is granted under the
rules promulgated under sub. (3r).
(d) A person who performs adjunctive services that are delegated to the person under sub. (7).
(e) A naturopathic doctor or limited-scope naturopathic doctor acting within the scope of his or her license under ch. 466.
(10) (a) A chiropractor may waive all or a portion of an insured patient’s copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles due to a
chiropractor who engages in the practice of chiropractic on behalf
of the insured patient if all of the following are satisfied:
1. The chiropractor receives from and maintains written documentation of the patient’s financial hardship, as defined by the
examining board by rule.
2. The chiropractor accurately reports to the patient’s insurer
the actual fee charged, if any, to the patient. If the chiropractor
waives all or a portion of the patient’s copayments, coinsurance,
or deductibles due to the chiropractor, the chiropractor may not
seek payment from the insurer for any portion of the copayment,
coinsurance, or deductible waived by the chiropractor unless the
claim for the services related to the copayment, coinsurance, or
deductible is reduced by an equal amount. In this subdivision and
in par. (b), “insurer” has the meaning given in s. 600.03 (27).
(b) A chiropractor who violates par. (a) shall refund the insurer for all payments received from the insurer that are related to
the day on which a patient’s payment was waived or reduced or
for the course of treatment for which the patient’s payment was
waived or reduced.
(10m) A licensed chiropractor who has a valid federal motor
carrier safety administration medical examiner certification credential issued under 49 CFR 390.109 may conduct medical examinations for the federal motor carrier safety administration
pursuant to 49 USC 31149 and 49 CFR parts 390 and 391.
(11) The examining board shall promulgate rules implementing s. 446.08.

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