The Oblander Duo: How a Political and Professional Power Play Nearly Rewrote Chiropractic’s Identity
Father, Son, and the Montana Chiropractic Cartel’s Push for Drug Rights
The defeat of Montana House Bill 500 (HB 500) — which would have allowed chiropractors to prescribe drugs — by a single vote was a near-death experience for the chiropractic profession. But the story behind the bill’s introduction reveals an even more troubling reality: the incestuous relationships between the Montana Chiropractic Association (MCA), the state regulatory board, and the political sphere.
At the center of this plot are Dr. Greg Oblander and his son Dr. Ryan Oblander — a chiropractic father/son duo tied to the MCA, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), and the state’s regulatory board.
Greg Oblander DC, a sitting Republican member of the Montana House of Representatives, introduced HB 500 while serving as the MCA’s 2024 Chiropractor of the Year. His son, Ryan Oblander, sits on the MCA’s Board of Directors and the influential Insurance and Legislative Committee — the same committee that includes other high-profile figures such as Dr. Marcus Nynas, Dr. Caitlin Walter, and Dr. Mike Welker — all of whom have direct ties to the MCA, ACA, and the state board.
Montana Chiropractic Association (MCA) Leadership Pushing HB 500
Caitlin Walter, DC is the Vice President of the MCA and she also sits on the Montana Board of Chiropractors and is a dues paying ACA member. Dustin Rising, DC is a member of the Board of Directors of the MCA, also sits on the Montana Board of Chiropractors and is a dues paying ACA member. Julie Murack, DC is the current state Board President, a dues paying ACA Member and her husband Richard is a past MCA Chiropractor of the year and a dues paying ACA member. Michael Matury, DC for his part testified in favor of HB500. Matury, Rising, and Walter all pushed to support the Bill and spoke glowingly about adding drugs to the scope during their board meeting on the issue.
The MCA is an affiliate of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), the national organization that has long been pushing to expand chiropractic scope to include drugs and medical procedures. Even more telling is the fact that Ryan Oblander’s office was previously owned by Marcus Nynas, DC, the former MCA president and current ACA President — making this an insider operation from top to bottom.
This isn’t just a legislative proposal gone wrong — this was an attempted hostile takeover of the chiropractic profession, orchestrated by active market players positioned within the very regulatory and political structures designed to protect the public.
The Oblander Family: Chiropractic and Political Power Collide
The introduction of HB 500 by Greg Oblander was not a coincidence — it was a strategic maneuver aligned with the long-term goals of the MCA and ACA to transform chiropractic into a medicalized, drug-prescribing profession.
Greg Oblander, DC – Republican Montana House Member and MCA’s 2024 Chiropractor of the Year.
Ryan Oblander, DC – MCA Board Member, ACA Member, and Insurance and Legislative Committee Member.
Marcus Nynas, DC – Former MCA President, Current ACA President, and sold his practice to Ryan — tied to both the Montana state board and national chiropractic politics.
The Oblanders even work out of the same location — blending business, politics, and regulatory influence into a unified front to reshape chiropractic into something unrecognizable.
Greg Oblander’s Political Power Move
Greg Oblander’s introduction of HB 500 was more than just legislation — it was a calculated political strike.
By introducing the bill himself — as a Republican lawmaker and award-winning chiropractor — Oblander was attempting to grant chiropractors prescriptive authority and give the MCA the indirect power to define what drugs would be included.
MCA board members would have controlled the list of approved drugs, the educational requirements, and the licensing process — effectively placing the power to define and expand chiropractic’s scope directly into the hands of the MCA leadership and the ACA-connected state board members.
This was a direct power grab.
Ryan Oblander’s Positioning Within the MCA Power Structure
Ryan Oblander’s role in this plot extends beyond mere association — he’s an active participant in shaping legislative and regulatory policy.
Ryan sits on the MCA Board of Directors and is an ACA member — ensuring that his interests align with the ACA’s long-term strategy of medicalizing chiropractic.
More troubling is his membership on the MCA’s Insurance and Legislative Committee — alongside:
Dr. Marcus Nynas (ACA VP, former MCA President)
Dr. Caitlin Walter (State Board of Chiropractors member)
Dr. Mike Welker (MCA Past President)
Dr. Sheridan Jones (Current MCA President)
This committee is directly responsible for shaping state-level legislation — including the drafting and lobbying efforts for HB 500.
Ryan’s position on this committee puts him at the center of the legislative and regulatory process — giving him direct influence over state laws and policies that could benefit his practice and expand his scope of care.
Potential Legal and Ethical Violations
The involvement of active market players in shaping state legislation and regulatory policy raises significant legal and ethical concerns. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC established that when a state regulatory board is composed of active market participants, it is not immune from antitrust liability unless it is actively supervised by the state. In Montana, the fact that state board members — including Ryan Oblander, Caitlin Walter, and Marcus Nynas — are also MCA and ACA insiders raises clear conflict of interest issues.
Montana’s conflict of interest and ethics policies prohibit state officials from using their positions for personal gain — yet HB 500 would have directly benefited the very chiropractors tasked with regulating the profession. Furthermore, Montana’s Red Tape Relief Program was created to prevent this type of anti-competitive regulatory capture — yet here, the MCA and ACA insiders were actively working to create a closed-loop system where they controlled both regulation and market expansion. These conflicts demand further investigation by state authorities and potentially the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Marcus Nynas: The Shadow Architect Behind the Plot
This entire scheme traces back to Marcus Nynas, DC, whose influence in Montana and national chiropractic politics is pretty clear.
As the current President of the ACA and a former MCA President, Nynas has long championed the ACA’s goal of expanding chiropractic scope. The ACA's Medicare Expansion and Drug Bill is intended to do just that. If and when the Bill passes it would allow chiropractors to bill Medicare and provide services consistent with state scope of practice.
This is why the push to add drugs now is so important to them.
Nynas’s dual role — as a national leader within the ACA and a former state-level power broker — puts him in the unique position to coordinate state and national efforts to change the face of chiropractic.
The Danger Isn’t Over
HB 500 may have been defeated — but the forces behind it are not going away.
The MCA and ACA have been working toward this goal for decades. The infrastructure to reintroduce a similar bill already exists.
The ties between the MCA, ACA, and the Montana state board remain intact — and the political and financial incentives to expand chiropractic into the drug market are still there.
The Chiropractic Profession Dodged a Bullet — But the Fight is Far From Over
The defeat of HB 500 is a temporary victory — but the fact that it came down to one vote is a stark warning.
This is not the end — this is the beginning of the next phase in the fight for chiropractic’s soul.
