Is a chiropractor considered a health care provider for medical leave certification purposes?

Chiropractors are considered health care providers in limited circumstances, specifically when their work with a patient includes, in the words of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations, “treatment consisting of manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation as demonstrated by X-ray to exist.”

In other words, the chiropractor must take an x-ray of the back, and the x-ray and subsequent treatment must relate to subluxation, i.e., misalignment of the spine. If those circumstances are present, then the chiropractor is a “health care provider” for purposes of medical leave certification.

California Family Rights Act (CFRA) regulations specifically incorporate FMLA regulations in this context, so this analysis applies for both CFRA and FMLA.

Read more about Certification for Family and Medical Leave in the HR Library.

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