ACR Convergence 2025| Video: Rheum for Everyone, Episode 26—Ableism

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Unbudgeted: How the Opioid Crisis Is Blowing a Hole in Small-Town America’s Finances

Paula Seligson & Tim Reid  |  

INDIANA, Pa./CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (Reuters)—As deaths mount in America’s opioid crisis, communities on the front lines face a hidden toll: the financial cost. Ross County, a largely rural region of 77,000 people an hour south of Columbus, Ohio, is wrestling with an explosion in opioid-related deaths—44 last year compared with 19 in 2009. The drug addiction…

U.S. Democrats Urge Full Review Before Senate Vote on Latest Obamacare Attack

Susan Cornwell  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Democratic leaders in the U.S. Congress on Monday demanded that lawmakers wait to find out the budgetary and healthcare impacts of a new, last-ditch legislative effort by Republicans to repeal Obamacare before voting on it. In their long-running war on former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, Senate Republicans are now proposing to replace…

Poor Sleep Associated with Higher Risk of Chronic Pain

Carolyn Crist  |  

(Reuters Health)—People who sleep poorly may be more likely to develop a chronic pain condition and have worse physical health, a study from the U.K. suggests. A general decline in both the quantity and quality of hours slept led to a two- to three-fold increase in pain problems over time, researchers found. “Sleep and pain…

Rheumatology Advocates Visit D.C. to Act for Arthritis

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The ACR/ARHP’s annual fly-in to D.C. (#Act4Arthritis) was a huge success. More than 100 ACR/ARHP members and patients from across the nation attended meetings on Capitol Hill to advocate for people living with rheumatic diseases. In all, our advocates visited 138 Senate and House offices. This year’s fly-in on Sept. 25–26 coincided with the second-annual…

CMS Implements Part B Modifiers for Biosimilars

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With the advent of biosimilars to the marketplace, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now requires modifiers to identify the manufacturer of a biosimilar/biological product on Part B claims. Modifiers were put in place to provide the CMS with the necessary data needed to track claims payments, as well as the ability to…

RISE Data Use to Be Highlighted at 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

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This year’s ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, which takes place Nov. 3–8 in San Diego, features several opportunities to learn more about the ACR’s Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) Registry, and the data and tools it offers rheumatologists. For the first time, RISE data will be presented at the Annual Meeting by rheumatologists outside of the ACR’s…

Lady Gaga Calls Off Tour, Citing Pain from Fibromyalgia

Reuters Staff  |  

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Lady Gaga on Monday called off the European leg of her world tour, saying she was suffering from severe physical pain and was seeking medical treatment. The Born This Way singer, 31, who says she suffers from fibromyalgia, also canceled an appearance at a music festival in Rio de Janeiro last…

Costly Drugs to Weigh on U.S. Employers’ Expenses in 2018

Divya Grover  |  

(Reuters)—U.S. employers are bracing for higher health care expenses in 2018 as spending on new drugs to treat diseases, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis C, is expected to rise more than 7%, according to consultancy firm Mercer.1 Between 40 and 50 new specialty drugs are set to hit the market each year in…