2019 Tennessee Code
Title 63 - Professions of the Healing Arts
Chapter 4 - Chiropractors
§ 63-4-114. Denial, suspension or revocation of license or certificate.
(a) The board has the duty and authority to suspend for a specified time, within the discretion of the board, or to revoke any license to practice chiropractic, or to otherwise discipline any licensee or refuse to grant any certificate of fitness, whenever the licensee or applicant is found guilty of any of the following acts or offenses:
(1) Fraud in procuring a license or certificate;
(2) Conviction of a felony for violations of any law of the state or of the United States;
(3) Habitual intoxication or personal misuse of any drugs or the use of intoxicating liquors, narcotics, controlled substances, controlled substance analogues or other drugs or stimulants in such manner as to adversely affect the person's ability to practice chiropractic;
(4) Immoral, unethical, unprofessional or dishonorable conduct;
(5)
(A) In-person solicitation, telemarketing, or telephonic solicitation by licensees, employees of licensees, agents of licensees, or independent contractors of licensees to victims of an accident or disaster, unless it is a victim with whom a licensee has a family or prior professional relationship, shall be considered unethical if carried out within thirty (30) days of the accident or disaster;
(B) Telemarketing transcripts shall be maintained for a period of two (2) years following their utilization;
(C) A log of contacts shall be maintained for a period of two (2) years following a telemarketing encounter; and
(D) This subdivision (5) shall not prohibit solicitation by targeted direct mail advertising or other forms of written, radio, or television advertising; provided, that the advertising does not involve coercion, duress, or harassment and is not false, deceptive, or misleading;
(6) Division of fees or agreeing to split or divide fees received for professional services with any person for bringing or referring a patient;
(7) Professional connection or association with any person, firm or corporation in any manner in an effort to avoid and circumvent this chapter or lending one's name to another for the illegal practice of chiropractic by such person;
(8) Rebating or offering to rebate to an insured any payment by the insured's third-party payor to the licensee for services or treatments rendered under the insured's policy;
(9) Submitting to any third-party payor a claim for a service or treatment at an inflated fee or charge or a greater fee or charge than the usual fee the licensee charges for that service or treatment when the service or treatment is rendered without third-party reimbursement;
(10) Submitting to any third-party payor a claim for a service or treatment at a fee or charge in an amount greater than that advertised for such service or treatment at the time of the rendering of the service or treatment that is the subject matter of the claim;
(11) Knowingly or purposefully incorrectly reporting services rendered, reporting incorrect treatment dates or reporting charges for services not rendered for the purpose of obtaining payment from a third-party payor;
(12) Any other unprofessional or unethical conduct that may be specified by the board from time to time by means of rules and regulations duly published and promulgated by the board or the violation of any provision of this chapter;
(13) The advertising of chiropractic business in which untrue or misleading statements are made or causing the publication or circulation of fraudulent advertising relative to any disease, human ailment or condition;
(14) Invasion of a field of practice in which the licensee is not licensed to practice or is not within the limits of the licensee's respective callings as determined by the board;
(15) Gross health care liability or a pattern of continued or repeated health care liability, ignorance, negligence or incompetence in the course of chiropractic practice; and
(16) Making false, fraudulent, misleading, extravagant or grossly improbable claims or statements as to the efficacy or value of the science or practice of chiropractic.
(b) An action taken under this section shall be subject to the applicable provisions of the Fresh Start Act that are compiled in chapter 1, part 1 of this title.
