Okla. Chiropractor’s License Revoked for Violating Rules

A Norman, Okla., chiropractor won’t be able to practice for three years after the Oklahoma Board of Chiropractic Examiners concluded that he violated state rules concerning advertising, billing and ethics, and mismanaged patient insurance claims.

Tracy Don Ellis, 32, also must pay $30,000 in fines, which will go to those who complained, documents show.

Board members found Ellis guilty Nov. 28 after more than a dozen patients filed complaints, said Beth Carter, executive director of the board.

Ellis promised a money-back guarantee in newspaper ads, but didn’t honor it, patients alleged. They also said he misrepresented himself as an insurance in-network provider, and billed for treatments that weren’t given or were performed by staff members while he wasn’t present.

“The majority of patients were elderly and some of them had Medicare and some of them had supplemental insurance, but Medicare will only pay certain things with a chiropractic,” Carter said.

Ellis said disgruntled patients filed the complaints after they weren’t pleased with treatments.

“That is not something doctors do. They don’t give money back if their patients don’t like the results. Years ago, we did offer a money back guarantee, but that was if the patients did the treatments and had a surgery within a years time afterward,” he said.

Ellis said his office never filed insurance for anyone, and he required patients to sign a service agreement before treatment that outlined surgery as a refund requirement.

Staff members only performed therapies like stretching exercises and putting patients on machines, he said.

Ellis said he intends to appeal.

Information from: The Oklahoman, www.newsok.com.