The phase 3, RA-BEAM study found RA patients who were switched from adalimumab to baricitinib experienced improvements in disease control even in the absence of an adalimumab washout. In the study, the change was not associated with an increase in adverse events or infections…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The overall 30-day costs of caring for Medicare patients are lower at teaching hospitals, according to data from the Medicare inpatient file. “We found it really interesting that the lower costs seen at major teaching hospitals was driven primarily by lower costs after discharge from the hospital,” Dr. Laura G. Burke from…
We are nearing the halfway point of 2019 and are one-quarter of the way through the ACR’s recently launched Access 2020 campaign, an advocacy campaign to increase ACR/ARP access to decision makers and the rulemaking process through RheumPAC by raising $300,000 and increasing the number of ACR/ARP members who contribute to 900. Progress Report So…
So far it has been a busy year for the Affiliate Society Council (ASC). Forty-three states are now affiliated with the ACR through the ASC, and we may add another next year. Also, many state legislative sessions have wrapped up, so it’s a great time to provide an overview of the successes—and some of the…
Join us in Atlanta Nov. 8–13 for the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting. Member registration is now open, including registration for the annual pre-meeting practice management workshop: Practice Matters—Navigating a Path to Success! (General registration opens June 26.) The 2019 workshop will focus on key practice matters. The goal of the pre-meeting workshop is to address…
Broken hips are among the most serious injuries incurred by older adults, and many fractures are preventable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 300,000 people over the age of 65 are hospitalized each year for hip fractures, with women (who have lower bone density than men) experiencing three-quarters of all…
In April 2019, the Rheumatology Association of Nevada (RAN) hosted its fourth annual meeting. “We had the largest-ever number of attendees,” says RAN President Tim Kelly, MD, a rheumatologist in Las Vegas. Launched in 2016, RAN continues to grow, and Dr. Kelly hopes to see the statewide organization do more. “We want to expand our…
Take the challenge. C—When an insurance carrier requests the medical record for a service performed, the practice should send all pertinent information to support the medical necessity of that service. For example, if the drug requires that a patient first be tested for tuberculosis and the patient should be on methotrexate or leflunomide, the note…
A private insurance carrier sends an audit request letter to a rheumatology practice to review its infusion medical records for the past 30 dates of service. What information should the practice send to the carrier? Only the infusion notes The complete notes for the requested dates of service only The complete notes for the requested…
Join us in Atlanta Nov. 8–13 for the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting. Member registration is now open, including registration for the annual pre-meeting practice management workshop: Practice Matters—Navigating a Path to Success! The 2019 workshop will focus on key practice matters. The goal of the pre-meeting workshop is to address how best to manage your…