40 Year Old Olympian Credits Chiropractic

The following is reprinted from Forbes.com

At age 40, Jeff Hartwig goes on record as the oldest member of the 2008 Olympic U.S. Track and Field team, competing in the pole vault event. A two time Olympian and four-time national champion, Hartwig holds the American indoor pole vaulting record and attributes much of his athletic success to chiropractic care.

"The first time I was treated by a chiropractor was akin to a miracle -- a much better option than simply using conventional medicine because my injuries healed faster and my whole body felt better," said Hartwig during an interview conducted a week prior to the Olympic events.

Just shy of his 41st birthday, Jeff is one of the three U.S. pole vault athletes competing in Beijing. He vaulted 18 feet, eight inches to become the oldest American to qualify for the Olympic team in his event. Hartwig finished 11th at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and went on to set the American record in 1998 at 19 feet, 9 1/4 inches.

"Without chiropractic care, I doubt that I would ever have been able to reach these levels or be able to train at such an intense level," said Hartwig.

Jeff is treated by U.S. Olympic Committee team chiropractor Ted Forcum, D.C. of Tigard, Ore., one of four doctors of chiropractic joining the 62-member U.S. Olympic healthcare team for the 2008 Olympic Games.

"Chiropractic fulfills a niche need, not only by treating injuries but also by aiding in recovery and positively impacting athletic performance," said Forcum. "Chiropractors promote active care and treatment with a commitment to healthy progression and rehabilitation."

Since the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York, chiropractors have provided healthcare services to elite performers, and this year chiropractors will assume an even greater role in the integrated healthcare team, which includes medical doctors, massage therapists, and certified athletic trainers.
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Watch Jeff Hartwig in action in Monaco. Absolutely Amazing!
It's not in English, but it is very impressive to watch.

United Healthcare Fined $800,000 by North Carolina

After receiving a $2.2 million dollar fine in 2004, the highest ever issued by the North Carolina Dept. of Insurance, UHC has agree to pay nearly $800,000 to the state in order to resolve allegations that it violated North Carolina law.

The DOI began an investigation in 2003 after consumers and doctors filed complaints about the insurance company. The investigation discovered numerous problems with the companies' claims handling process.

United Healthcare, often accused of over-aggressive benefit slashing, continues to be bogged down with legal battles. The following articles chronicle some of their legal woes:

• New York Attorney General threatens UHC with Injunction

• Washington Insurance Commissioner Orders UHC to Pay Fine Following Investigation
• ACN (UHC Affiliate) Accused of "systematically and illegally denying, delaying, and diminishing payments", Nebraska Chiropractic Association Files Suit
• ACN (UHC Affiliate) Accused of Harming Consumers by Inappropriately Limiting Care
• "UHC/ACN created a way to cut healthcare costs that affects the quality of healthcare available to patients" According to Missouri Lawsuit
• Miami judge dismissed lawsuit against UHC brought by 700,000 medical doctors who claimed the insurers had conspired to arbitrarily deny or reduce claims. Despite this setback, Chiropractic Association continues its lawsuit

• ACN (UHC Affiliatee) is Among Insurers Who Recieve the Most Complaints for Routinely Denying Treatment, Reimbursement, and Putting Patients at Risk

• Class Action Lawsuit Against UHC to be Filed in Pinellas County, Florida

• UHC Agrees to Pay $3.5 Million to Settle Suit that Alledged The Company Systematically Defrauded Medicare

• Arizona Dept of Insurance ordered UHC to pay the largest fine in the department's history for violations of state insurance laws.