Rheumatology practices have faced unique challenges this year, from navigating underwater biosimilars and new twists and turns with reimbursements to taking a closer look at complex treatments and enhancing data-driven patient care. With so much to discuss, the business of rheumatology will be a lively track at ACR Convergence 2024.
The ACR’s annual meeting is taking place Nov. 14–19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The conference will be hosted in-person and on-demand with select livestreamed sessions.
Dr. Shepherd
One major business focus will be to address payer challenges to which the ACR is currently responding, and which rheumatology practices are having to endure. These include insurance requirements for therapies with biosimilars, according to Rebecca Shepherd, MD, MBA, a session moderator and chair of the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee of the Committee on Rheumatologic Care (CORC). “The more rheumatologists know, the more we can influence decision making and educate other stakeholders including patients, employers and government officials who create policy.”
Dr. Niemer
Rheumatology practices are also “keen to learn how colleagues are finding success caring for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with complicated treatment regimens, including combination therapies and biologic response modifiers,” notes Mark Niemer, MD, who is moderating a session that will highlight best practices for coding and tools to improve patient workflows.
