The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 NewsACR Convergence
  • 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
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis 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
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • 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
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
      • Psoriatic Arthritis
      • 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 / ACR/ARP Members Educate Lawmakers

ACR/ARP Members Educate Lawmakers

May 17, 2019 • By Ryan Basen

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Dozens of rheumatology leaders met with more than 100 politicos on Capitol Hill in mid-May, per the ACR’s annual Advocacy Leadership Conference. Armed with research and advocacy training concerning a handful of important issues, rheumatologists, researchers, government affairs specialists and others met with federal lawmakers, legislative aides and correspondents.

You Might Also Like
  • ACR Leaders to Meet with Members of Congress
  • Arthritis Advocacy Spotlights the Military: Veterans, including a rheumatologist, educate lawmakers about arthritis’ impact & the need for research funding
  • Call Your Lawmakers the Week of March 15
Also By This Author
  • ACR Volunteer Leaders Visit Capitol Hill, Lobby for 5 Issues

The two-day conference, which featured the May 16 Hill meetings, is one of two major organized events when rheumatology leaders descend on Washington to meet with federal lawmakers. Unlike September’s Advocates for Arthritis event, this event did not include patients; instead it fell to rheumatology leaders to advocate on patients’ behalf for the following key issues.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Issue 1: Support the Safe Step Act to Counter Step Therapy
Create a clear and transparent process for many patients to get exceptions to step therapy (or fail first), require insurers to consult with patient medical histories and providers before denying medically necessary treatments, and establish a clear and reasonable timeframe for over-ride decisions. This Act would build on reforms already passed in 22 states.

Issue 2: Stabilize the Long-Term Rheumatology Workforce
Provide loan repayment for pediatric subspecialists (including in rheumatology), and address pediatric public health disparities in children’s hospitals graduate medical education programs. These initiatives would help counter a trend that shows the projected demand for rheumatologists far exceeding the supply over the next dozen years. This workforce is severely limited by the lack of substantial funding for fellowship training, while many programs rely on private funding to sustain their training. (A House bill calling for the strengthening of the pediatric workforce at large was introduced in March.)

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Issue 3: Reform Prior Authorization
Improve the transparency and efficiency of this process, helping patients access care without facing delays that could jeopardize their health. Congress should require prior authorization be standardized and allow for electronic options, force insurance companies to reveal coverage restrictions levied at the point of care, and eliminate prior authorization altogether for most approved therapies.

Issue 4: Improve Access to Osteoporosis Testing in Medicare
Issue a sustainable payment for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone density scans conducted in physicians’ offices, and preserve current access to osteoporosis testing, prevention and treatment. Medicare reimbursements for DXA scans have dropped by 70% over the past decade, and active payment rates don’t cover physicians’ costs to provide this service. (A Senate bill was introduced in January and a House bill in May.)

Issue 5: Invest in Arthritis Research at the Department of Defense (DoD)
Submit an appropriations request for a dedicated $20 million line item in a DoD research program’s budget. That program lacks funding earmarked for arthritis research, despite listing similar dedicated budgets for other diseases—and despite arthritis being a major condition afflicting U.S. service members. Funding for arthritis and clinical care research overall is also significantly limited.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Education & Training, Legislation & Advocacy, Meeting Reports Tagged With: D.C. fly-in 2019, Washington D.C.

You Might Also Like:
  • ACR Leaders to Meet with Members of Congress
  • Arthritis Advocacy Spotlights the Military: Veterans, including a rheumatologist, educate lawmakers about arthritis’ impact & the need for research funding
  • Call Your Lawmakers the Week of March 15
  • The ACR Government Affairs Committee’s Outgoing Chair Urges Members to Continue Advocating for Rheumatology

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 »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

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 / Cookie Preferences

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

Copyright © 2006–2023 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

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