Fighting Injustice: A Historical Review of the National Chiropractic Antitrust Committee

Objective

The purpose of this article is to provide a historical summary of the National Chiropractic Antitrust Committee (NCAC), a nonprofit organization that provided needed support for the Wilk et al v American Medical Association et al lawsuit, considered to be one of the most important legal cases in the history of the chiropractic profession.

Methods

We reviewed journal articles, court documents, texts, interviews, and primary historical documents and created a chronology of events that was then synthesized into a factual account of the NCAC.

Results

The primary function of the NCAC was to raise money to support legal steps necessary against actions of the nature of boycott, restraint of trade, or any acts deemed unlawful against the chiropractic profession. The NCAC eventually supported the Wilk et al v American Medical Association et al lawsuit, which ran from 1976 to 1990, consumed tremendous financial resources, and required significant efforts to raise funds from the chiropractic profession. The NCAC was also responsible for managing the distribution of reparations. Formed in 1975 and terminated after the trials, the NCAC played a vital role in supporting the trials and the post-trial distribution of funds for research.

Conclusion

The NCAC was successful in its mission to raise funds to support the 2 trials of the Wilk et al v AMA et al lawsuit, multiple appeals, and post-trial distribution of funds donated by the plaintiffs to support charity work for children and chiropractic research. Without the dedication of the NCAC staff and goodwill of the NCAC officers, it is likely that none of these benefits to the chiropractic profession would have been realized.