Navigating Chiropractic Licensure: Expert Insights from the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

This podcast is for educational purposes only, does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal assistance about a legal problem, contact an attorney. Welcome back to Know your Regulator, the podcast that inspires you to engage. I am your host, simone Murphy, and co-hosting with me today is MJ Hooper. Hey, mj.

Speaker 2: 0:27

Hey Ms Simone. Today we have another great episode lined up for our viewers. Today we are discussing licensing and enforcement for Texas chiropractors.

Speaker 1: 0:36

That is right, we have got staff from the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners, or TBCE, joining us today Licensing Director Sarah Matthews and General Counsel Joseph McLaughlin. Welcome and thanks for your time today, guys.

Speaker 3: 0:54

Thank you for having us.

Speaker 2: 0:55

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 0:58

Well, we are very excited to share your insights and knowledge with the chiropractic community. Share your insights and knowledge with the chiropractic community. It’s super crucial that license holders understand how their agency works and how to effectively interact and engage with them Before we get too into y’all’s processes and regulation. Sarah, can you share with us a brief overview of TPCE and its mission? Sure?

Speaker 3: 1:26

The Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners, also known as TPCE, licenses and regulates chiropractors in the state of Texas. The board’s mission is to execute the statutory authority of the Texas Occupation Code, chapter 201, and to promote, preserve and protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of Texas by licensing skilled professionals and enforcing standards of practice.

Speaker 1: 1:54

Wonderful and I think it is very critical. You mentioned, you know, in the mission statement that you know the agency’s mission is really first and foremost to protect the public and you guys uphold that mission through these processes that we will be talking about. So, with that being said, sarah, who needs a license to practice chiropractic care in Texas?

Speaker 3: 2:21

To practice chiropractic in Texas, a doctor of chiropractic must have been issued a license by the board. We currently do not have licenses for chiropractic assistance and we do not currently have chiropractic facility registrations that there are some differences among medical licenses.

Speaker 1: 2:52

The TMB has a different process and a different way of governing and regulating their licenses versus the processes that you guys have and the way that you issue your licenses and the types of licenses that are available too. Can you tell us what steps are taken to obtain a chiropractic license?

Speaker 3: 3:10

Yeah, it’s pretty lengthy. So the first step is for the applicant to complete a new license application and submit that to the board along with our $200 processing fee. To qualify for a license in Texas, the applicant must have graduated from a CCE Accredited Chiropractic College, which is also known as Councils on Chiropractic Education. They must have earned at least 90 hours of undergrad coursework that would be transferable to UT Austin per statute and must have passed NBCE board exams, one through four and physiotherapy or the special purposes exam called the spec exam.

Speaker 1: 3:58

Wow interesting.

Speaker 2: 4:00

Can you walk us through a typical application process, and how long might the applicants expect this process to take?

Speaker 3: 4:10

Sure, a typical license is issued within one to two months. Once the applicant has submitted the application and processing fee, their application is reviewed within seven business days. Once reviewed, I will provide the applicant with an applicant status. Typical items that are requested from the applicant would include undergrad transcripts, chiropractic transcript, copy of chiropractic diploma, background check and national board scores. Once all of those items are received, the applicant then is made eligible to take our state jurisprudence exam. This is an online exam, so once the applicant, then, is made eligible to take our state jurisprudence exam this is an online exam, so once the applicant is eligible, they can take it at their own convenience, even if it’s 12 am. Once the exam has been passed, I will provide them with a letter that basically is letting them know that they have to pay a permitted licensing fee, and then there’s also a form that they have to submit. So once I’ve received both of those items, a license is then issued within 10 business days.

Speaker 2: 5:14

I had a quick question about the documents that you had mentioned. When they’re submitting these documents to you? Is this via an online portal, or how is that being processed?

Speaker 3: 5:29

Yeah, so we actually just released an application portal, but we do not have a way for them to upload those documents other than the photo that’s to be included in the application, to be included in the application. So typically for the transcripts, they request those to be sent directly to us from each university or they sometimes use parchment services. Same thing with national board scores. They have a portal that they go in and they request it and we receive it separately.

Speaker 2: 6:01

Nice.

Speaker 1: 6:02

Thank you. Super important for applicants to know you know what to look out for and just how to navigate this. What are some of the most common issues that applicants may face in your department?

Speaker 3: 6:17

I would say that the biggest holdup for new applicants would be the amount of time it takes to receive all the required documents. Some schools are quicker than others on submitting those transcripts. Another holdup would be if the applicant is required to appear before the board. Typically that would only be if the applicant has one or more alcohol-related arrests or a previous felony. Those would require board approval and our board meets quarterly. So that would be a holdup if someone had to appear before the board.

Speaker 1: 6:54

Gotcha, would you say that it’s sort of the same for applicants or not applicants? License holders who are renewing their license, do they experience some of those same issues? Who are renewing their license do they experience some of those?

Speaker 3: 7:07

same issues or might they experience different issues? Yeah, there’s some different issues. So I would say the most common holdup for license renewals is due to the licensees not completing the legislative requirement for human trafficking, that’s per Texas Occupations Code Chapter 116. If the licensee completes the training right before his or her deadline, they can run into the problem of not being able to renew their license on time. A hold is initially placed on every licensee that is due for renewal until proof of that training has been received has been received. When we lift the renewal hold, it does take two full business days for our database to integrate with Texasgov, which is where they pay their payments. So a lot of times licensees have to renew late because they’re waiting to the last minute.

Speaker 1: 7:58

Gotcha. Yeah, that’s probably a really big one for our viewers to know is don’t wait until the last minute and do it right up against that deadline. Thanks, sarah. That’s really big information to share. Are the fingerprint and background checks? Do you guys see that being a holdup in these renewals, or applications being processed?

Speaker 3: 8:27

Generally speaking, I would say no, no application is outright denied. The applicant will always have the opportunity to speak their case. If the applicant is required to appear before the full board, then the application may be delayed a little. Once individuals have been fingerprinted, we do receive wrap backs through DPS. So if they have any new arrests or convictions we will get notified and that if it’s a current licensee and we do receive a hit on that, our enforcement team will review that and handle accordingly.

Speaker 1: 9:02

Gotcha Good to know and I think it’s really good for viewers to know too that you know licensing and enforcement are two separate departments and that licensing just handles the license you know and in obtaining’re the one who will handle if there’s like a criminal history or, like you said, something comes back on a background check and that, like you said, that transfers over to a different department and gets handled in a different process. So that’s definitely good for viewers to know what can happen if a license holder allows their license to expire or they submit a late renewal.

Speaker 3: 9:50

Every license expires on the licensee’s first day of their birth month every two years. This date will never change. A lot of people forget their expiration date, but that date does not change. There’s no grace period for a late renewal. Once the license is expired for one year, a license is then closed for non-renewal. During that year the licensee can submit a late renewal along with any incurred late fees. That license is not renewed retroactively. There would be a lapse between the expiration date and the date that renewal was actually received.

Speaker 1: 10:26

Really good to know and again, like we said just a moment ago, it’s good to submit your documents in a timely manner. Make sure that you’ve got everything you know ready to go, with plenty of time for it to be processed, because you don’t want to wait. Well, Sarah, do you have any recommendations for applicants or license holders who are about to renew their license to ensure that they have a smooth process?

Speaker 3: 10:56

I would say it’s always best for the applicant and licensee to stay up to date with our current board rules. It will also be important for them to know that any correspondence from the board is important and should not be overlooked.

Speaker 2: 11:10

Most of the time, questions can be answered by reading over the information that has previously been given to them I’m so glad you said that, sarah, because in every podcast I am part of, I am beating everyone to death about check your mail. Make sure your agency has your current mailing address on file, because most agencies send everything via usps and you need to pay attention or mail. There’s deadlines associated with things, even as a license renewal. There’s going to be information coming, so I appreciate you sharing that yes’am.

Speaker 1: 11:46

Any final advice that you may have for our viewers?

Speaker 3: 11:51

The board is here to help. We’re very nice people. Don’t be afraid to contact us should you have any questions. It’s also important to know that we are a very small agency, with most employees wearing multiple hats. Patience is key and I appreciate your time today.

Speaker 1: 12:10

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your knowledge. For more information about this topic, you can visit the TBCE website, linked in our description below. Until next time, stay informed and keep engaging with your regulatory agency. Know your. Regulator the podcast that inspires you to engage.