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

Anticonvulsants Unhelpful for Low Back Pain

Marilynn Larkin  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Solid evidence suggests that anticonvulsants provide no benefit for low back or lumbar radicular pain and a high risk of harm, researchers say. “We started the study because these drugs were increasingly being used for low back pain and radiating leg pain, without the support of strong evidence of effectiveness,” principal investigator…

Romosozumab Improves Bone Mineral Density in Men with Osteoporosis

Anne Harding  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Romosozumab improves bone mineral density (BMD) in men with osteoporosis, but safety concerns are holding up its approval in the U.S. Up to 2 million men in the U.S. have osteoporosis, and up to 13 million have osteopenia, researchers note in a report online June 20 in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology…

Obesity in Women & Smoking in Men Strongly Predict Lack of Remission in Early RA

Lorraine L. Janeczko  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Obesity in women and current smoking in men appear to be the strongest predictors of lack of remission in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) within one year, according to new research presented June 13 at EULAR 2018, the annual meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism, in Amsterdam.1 Even though early identification and…

ACR Advocates Against Proposed UHC Policy Changes

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UnitedHealthcare (UHC) recently proposed two policy changes that would have a negative impact on reimbursement for consultation services and evaluation and management (E/M) services when billed with modifier 25. The effective date for both of these proposed changes is Oct. 1, 2018. Consultation Services Under the proposed consultation codes policy, UHC would end reimbursement for…

RISE Continues to Improve Offerings for Providers

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ACR members are realizing what they have at their fingertips—a registry fully staffed with knowledgeable people ready to help them succeed under MIPS. This valuable resource allows members to do what they do best: Treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is one of the primary goals of the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE)…

RheumPAC Members Speak Out on the Importance of Political Action Committees

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People can support causes, committees, campaigns, etc. in infinite ways. Members of the ACR/ARHP can see their efforts magnified via an investment in the ACR’s political action committee, RheumPAC. Your contribution goes directly to help support rheumatology and rheumatologists around the country. Proof of any group’s success can be seen in the satisfaction of its…

Pennsylvania Rheumatology Society Engages Multiple Generations

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Two years ago, veteran leaders of the Pennsylvania Rheumatology Society (PRS)—established 20 years prior—made an important decision to get early career rheumatologists more involved. “We thought younger rheumatologists were under-represented, and we wanted to give them a voice [so they would] better understand a wider range of practice issues our society could address,” explains Alfred…

ACR & NPF Highlight Medicare Access Challenges in Capitol Hill Briefing

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Concerns about how the Trump administration’s ideas to lower drug prices could reduce patient access to medicines led the ACR to speak out on many different fronts. On June 25, at a briefing hosted by the ACR and the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF), a packed room of Congressional staffers and reporters learned from rheumatologists and…

Program May Prevent Work Loss for Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

Within 10 years of diagnosis, 23–45% of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease may become unemployed due to disease-related disability. Intervention programs may be necessary to prevent this work loss. New research examined if a vocational rehabilitation program delivered by occupational and physical therapists can benefit this patient population…