NEW YORK (Reuters)—Walmart and Home Depot, two of the top 10 U.S. employers, have embraced a health insurance strategy that punishes drugmakers for using discount cards to keep patients from switching or stopping their medications. Large U.S. companies have started tightly managing how employees and their family members use these popular discount, or copay, cards…
What the Election Means for Rheumatology
The 2018 U.S. midterm elections mobilized American voters, bringing more than 100 million people to the polls.1 It also brought the House of Representatives under the control of Democrats, while Republicans maintained control of the Senate, splitting the legislative branch between two parties. As the 116th Congress prepares to convene in January 2019, the ACR’s…
Quality Payment Program Year 3 Reporting Changes: What You Need to Know
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for the Quality Payment Program (QPP) year 3 (CY 2019) on Nov. 1, 2018. Below, we have compiled a list of key changes to ensure MIPS-eligible clinicians are accurately reporting for CY 2019: New MIPS-eligible clinician types: Physical therapist, occupational therapist, qualified speech-language…
A Balancing Act: Tips to Ensure Optimal Screening & Treatment for Osteoporosis
Patients with rheumatic diseases may be undertreated for osteoporosis. To decrease fracture risk for at-risk patients, rheumatologists can engage patients in shared decision making with regular screening and education about treatment options…
Ustekinumab May Be Effective for Lupus
New research underscores the possibility that interleukin (IL) 12, IL-23 or both play roles in the immunopathology of SLE. In the study, when added to standard-of-care treatment for active SLE, ustekinumab demonstrated better efficacy than placebo and had a safety profile consistent with that of ustekinumab therapy in other diseases…
Final 2019 Physician Reimbursement Rule Released by CMS Includes Victories for Rheumatology
On Nov. 1, after months of advocacy efforts spearheaded by the ACR and others, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2019 Medicare physician fee schedule rule, and it included several victories for rheumatology. Upon initial review, it appears the CMS has taken into account the concerns expressed by the ACR and…
5-Year Data on Secukinumab in AS; Oliceridine Not Recommended for FDA Approval
In a long-term study, secukinumab proved safe and effective for treating ankylosing spondylitis…
Is More Better? Weight Loss Analysis in Older Patients with Knee OA
Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for many patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and the National Institutes of Health recommend an initial weight loss goal of 10%. But how does losing more weight affect knee OA patients? In a new study, researchers compared the outcomes of knee OA patients who lost more and less than the recommended 10% of their baseline weight, finding significant improvement in health-related quality of life and reduction in pain for patients who lost twice what’s recommended…
2018 MIPS Reporting via RISE: Are You Ready?
It’s time to prepare for 2018 MIPS reporting via the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry, and the ACR is here to help. To ensure you’re ready to submit your data to the CMS, RISE users should take the following steps: Complete the survey to notify the ACR of your intent to report via…
Protect Your Practice: Action Update From the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee
Both private and academic rheumatology practices face payer challenges that put the health of their patients and their practices at risk. To make sure the rheumatologist perspective is heard by payers, “the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) serves as the interface between payers and our members and ACR colleagues,” explains Sean Fahey, MD, a rheumatologist in…
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