The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Advocates for Improved Access to Critical Treatments

American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Advocates for Improved Access to Critical Treatments

April 6, 2012 • By Staff

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF
Cost sharing and specialty tier pricing can make it difficult for patients to pay for important biologic medications.

Biologic medications, including disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, are increasingly among the medications insurance companies are moving to specialty tiers that utilize high patient cost-sharing methods. For rheumatoid arthritis patients, the coinsurance can amount to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in additional costs each month per prescription, making these critical treatments unaffordable for many Americans.

You Might Also Like
  • The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) can Help Combat Insurance Frustrations
  • Five Ways to Get Involved in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Simple Tasks Campaign
  • American College of Rheumatology Leads Charge to Address Excessive Patient Cost Sharing
Explore This Issue
April 2012
Also By This Author
  • Dr. Wolfe & the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases (NBD)

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Take Action: Enable Patient Access to Treatments

Visit the ACR’s Legislative Action Center at www.rheumatology.org/advocacy to send a personalized message to your lawmakers asking them decrease barriers to treatment by cosponsoring the Patient Access to Critical Treatments Act.

A number of states have considered legislation to address specialty tiers, but only New York has a law prohibiting their use. While the ACR supports efforts on the state level, we are promoting federal legislation to eliminate high cost sharing for specialty tier medications in all states.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“Requiring patients to pay a percentage of the cost rather than a standard copay has resulted in patients not taking their drugs or not taking them as prescribed,” says Gene Huffstutter, MD, a rheumatologist in Hixson, Tenn. “The fact that Medicare patients cannot participate in the pharmaceutical company copay assistance programs further burdens patients with limited resources to obtain medically necessary therapies,” says Dr. Huffstutter.

Studies show that patients who owed more than $500 at the pharmacy counter were four times more likely to not fill their prescriptions than those who owed $100 or less. Many patients who share the costs for biologics, the costs of which range from $12,000 to $48,000 or more, are simply unable to afford their medications and are going without or skipping doses. This can result in disability and other future complications, leading to increased healthcare costs that affect our entire healthcare system.

With appropriate use, biologic drugs can prevent joint destruction and disability in arthritis patients, avert expensive joint replacement surgeries, and provide patients the opportunity to maintain daily function, remain in the workforce, and contribute to the tax base.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Last month, Congressman David McKinley (R-WV) introduced the Patient Access to Critical Treatments Act that requires commercial health insurers provide a flat-rate copayment for specialty tier medications, rather than a percentage of the cost of the drug. Along with the Arthritis Foundation and state rheumatology societies, the ACR is reaching out to members of Congress to identify other champions for this issue.

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: From the College, Legislation & Advocacy, Professional Topics Tagged With: AC&R, Advocacy, Advocating With You, American, American College of Rheumatology, Biologics, drug, Legislation, patient careIssue: April 2012

You Might Also Like:
  • The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) can Help Combat Insurance Frustrations
  • Five Ways to Get Involved in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Simple Tasks Campaign
  • American College of Rheumatology Leads Charge to Address Excessive Patient Cost Sharing
  • American College of Rheumatology (ACR) on Capitol Hill

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.