It will also be critical to advocate against the possibility that Medicare could allow third-party utilization management of Part B drugs, Dr. Worthing said, noting that this “could potentially allow PBMs [pharmacy benefit managers] to require prior authorization for biologic infusion and injection drugs given in the office, delaying care and increasing cost to practices and patients.”
Members Invited to Be Heard
Both Drs. Worthing and Edgerton encouraged members to let their concerns be known so the ACR can advocate effectively on their behalf. “We depend on members to make us aware of concerning issues,” says Dr. Edgerton. “We also depend on our allies in the AMA, and this requires that a certain minimum number of rheumatologists remain AMA members for us to have a seat at the AMA table.”
Dr. Edgerton highlighted easy ways that members can be heard: 1) directly emailing concerns to [email protected]; 2) using the Voter Voice app or website (links are on the ACR website) to send messages to representatives in Washington, D.C.; and 3) making a donation investing in RheumPAC, rheumatology’s voice on Capitol Hill. “These tools make it easy to send informative requests to federal lawmakers and to support rheumatology champions, furthering our goals,” he says.
Mary Beth Nierengarten is a freelance medical journalist based in Minneapolis.
