Case Summary - Quest Chiropractic

In August 2001, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Toledo Special Investigations Unit (SIU) began focusing their efforts on the resurgence of the telemarketing activity of Quest Chiropractic. BWC began receiving phone calls from injured workers, employers, attorneys, BWC personnel in Northwest Ohio, MCO's, doctors and even area Chiropractors that a local doctor was making deceptive and misleading phone calls in order to solicit new patients. The phone calls are being directed to injured workers and are generally made by a female employee at the doctor's office.

In an effort to prevent this type of misleading and deceptive behavior on the part of BWC certified providers, the BWC implemented a Provider marketing rule. This rule went into effect on March 29, 2002 and stated that, "No bureau certified provider shall engage in any advertising or solicitation directed to injured workers which is false, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading." The rule further states that, "A bureau certified provider that violates this rule may be subject to decertification or disciplinary sanctions pursuant to the rules of this chapter of the Administrative Code". (4123-6-02.9)

The Ohio BWC Toledo SIU has an on-going, 8-month investigation into the telemarketing practices of Quest Chiropractic, located at 3407 Dorr Street, Toledo, Ohio. Through the course of the investigation, SIU personnel contacted injured workers in Northwest Ohio that had received phone calls from the doctors office. More than 20 interviews conducted with these injured workers revealed that they were led to believe that the Ohio BWC was ‘requiring' them to attend an exam at the doctor's office. Furthermore, often times the injured workers were not made aware of the fact that the doctor they were being asked to see was a chiropractor.

BWC has forwarded their preliminary investigation findings to the Ohio Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Section who is currently reviewing Quest's telemarketing practices.

While a specific dollar amount can not yet be attributed to the deceptive/misleading solicitation practices of Quest Chiropractic, it is BWC's greater concern that injured workers across the State of Ohio receive appropriate care. BWC is also concerned that stakeholders are spared the cost of unnecessary medical expenses precipitated by Quest Chiropractic.

A recent study done by the Ohio BWC revealed that, in general, a BWC certified chiropractor averages 2 new patients per month, while Quest Chiropractic averages 9 new patients per month.