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

Reimbursement Options for Services Without Direct Patient Contact

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Beginning in October 2019, two major commercial payers, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna, discontinued payment for consultation services. The CPT codes affected include 99241–99245 and 99251–99255. The payers have instructed providers to instead bill the non-consultative evaluation and management (E/M) codes that best describe the services performed. If the non-face-to-face service goes beyond the usual time a…

Nailfold Videocapillaroscopy Provides a Window into Inflammatory Myopathies

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A recent study investigated the possible differences in nailfold videocapillaroscopy in four types of inflammatory myopathies. Researchers observed giant capillaries, disorganization and major capillary loss in dermatomyositis and overlap myositis patients, finding dermatomyositis and overlap myositis imaging was different from that of antisynthetase syndrome and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy…

Potential Link Between OA & Gout

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Monosodium urate (MSU) crystal formation, deposition and gout flares frequently affect joints that have been damaged or are affected by osteoarthritis. These researchers examined the effects of human cartilage homogenates on MSU crystallization and MSU crystal-induced inflammation…

Trump Says He Will Allow States to Import Prescription Drugs to Lower Costs

Reuters Staff  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday, Nov. 22, he will soon release a plan to let Florida and other states import prescription medicines to combat high drug prices. He blasted the Democrat-led U.S. House of Representatives for not going far enough in a drug-pricing bill. “We will soon be putting more options on…

New Consensus Recommendations Guide Sjögren’s Syndrome Management

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—New consensus-based recommendations from the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) address the management of Sjögren’s syndrome with topical and systemic therapies. Sjögren’s syndrome presents with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and autoantibodies, including antinuclear antibodies (the most frequently detected), anti-Ro/SS-A (the most specific) and cryoglobulins and hypocomplementemia (the main prognostic markers)….

3 Tips for Financial Discussions with Patients

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Issues related to the costs and insurance coverage associated with rheumatologic care can be complex and overwhelming for patients. Here’s how one private practice addresses the financial side of treatment with its patients…

Renal Transplant Outcomes in Patients with Lupus Nephritis

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A recent study from Brazil suggests lupus nephritis patients who receive renal transplant have a high five-year survival rate. Researchers found the presence of venous thrombosis and antiphospholipid syndrome, but not viral infection, were important predictors of renal graft loss in these patients…