Louisiana chiropractor sentenced for $2.3M fraud schemes; most Americans back MMR vaccine requirement for school; acupuncture eases back pain, disability, in older adults – Morning Medical Update

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Louisiana chiropractor sentenced for $2.3M fraud schemes

A New Orleans chiropractor was sentenced to seven years in prison for health care and unemployment insurance fraud after billing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana for fake chiropractic services, including while he was on vacation or even jailed, and fabricating patient records to cover his tracks. Prosecutors said Dr. Benjamin Tekippe, 40, owner of Metairie Chiropractic & Rehab, submitted more than $2.3 million in false claims, pocketed about $740,000 and spent tens of thousands gambling at a New Orleans casino. He also collected nearly $13,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits while falsely claiming to be jobless. Convicted in April of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud, Tekippe was ordered to pay more than $753,000 in restitution.

Most Americans back MMR vaccine requirement for school

Seventy percent of U.S. adults support requiring children to receive the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to attend public school, according to an April 2025 Annenberg Public Policy Center survey. That marks an increase from 63% in 2023, even as the Trump administration’s MAHA Commission has urged rethinking childhood vaccine mandates. Just 18% of respondents favored leaving the decision entirely to parents, even if opting out created risks for others.

Acupuncture eases back pain and disability in older adults

A large National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded trial has found that acupuncture can meaningfully improve function and reduce pain in older Americans with chronic low back pain, the leading cause of disability worldwide. The BackInAction study, published in JAMA Network Open, enrolled 800 adults ages 65 and older and found those who received acupuncture reported greater long-term improvements in mobility and pain relief compared with those receiving usual medical care alone. Benefits also extended to reduced anxiety symptoms, with few adverse effects reported.