The ACR Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) regularly engages with insurance companies to discuss concerns raised by ACR members and advocate for appropriate coverage and payment policies. The ISC has gotten off to a busy start in 2017, working on a variety of patient access and reimbursement issues. Two recent issues the ISC has taken action on…
U.S. Senator Launches Probe into 5 Top Opioid Drugmakers
(Reuters)—U.S. Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill sought on Tuesday details from the nation’s top opioid drugmakers on their sales and marketing practices, as lawmakers step up efforts to tackle the country’s deadly opioid crisis. The Missouri senator’s investigation comes amid an epidemic of opioid addiction, with 91 Americans dying everyday as a result of overdose, according…
Kansas Passes Medicaid Expansion Bill Despite Governor’s Objection
(Reuters)—The Kansas Senate gave final approval on Tuesday to a bill expanding eligibility for Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) even though the measure faces a likely veto by Republican Governor Sam Brownback. The 25-14 Senate vote followed the House’s 81-44 passage of the bill last month, with the vote totals falling short…
Immune-Related Adverse Events with Use of Checkpoint Inhibitors for Immunotherapy of Cancer
Introduction: Major advances in the past two decades have enhanced our understanding of the complex interactions between the immune system and cancer cells and their environment. Genetic and epigenetic alterations in tumor cells result in the expression of diverse antigens that can elicit an immune response, primarily mediated by T cells. Immune responses are regulated…
Would Legalizing Medical Marijuana Help Curb the Opioid Epidemic?
(Reuters Health)—In states that legalized medical marijuana, U.S. hospitals failed to see a predicted influx of pot smokers, but in an unexpected twist, they treated far fewer opioid users, a new study shows. Hospitalization rates for opioid painkiller dependence and abuse dropped on average 23% in states after marijuana was permitted for medicinal purposes, the…
New Position Paper Aims to Reduce Administrative Tasks in Healthcare
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A new position paper from the American College of Physicians (ACP) aims to reduce administrative tasks in health care. Reducing these tasks has been an important long-term objective of ACP, which developed the Patients before Paperwork initiative in 2015 as part of this effort. In a publication online on March 27 in…
Ustekinumab Has Longer Efficacy Duration than TNFIs for Plaque Psoriasis
When compared with TNFIs, ustekinumab demonstrated a longer drug survival rate in patients with severe plaque psoriasis…
Alterations in the Microbiome Are Associated with Changes in Bone Quality
By treating mice with antibiotics, researchers found that alterations in the gut microbiome impaired the mechanical properties of bone and depleted splenic B and T cell populations. The researchers suspect the decrease in bone strength resulted from the change in the immune system…
How to Leverage Physical Therapy & Technology to Help Patients Stay Fit & Decrease Pain
For patients living with rheumatic diseases, the benefits of physical therapy and exercise cannot be overstated. “Working with a physical therapist provides a chance for careful evaluation of how the patient is moving and experiencing pain,” says Maura Iversen, BSc, PT, DPT, SD, MPH…
Dermatology Consults May Cut Hospital Stays, Readmissions
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Inpatient dermatology consultations were associated with shorter hospital stays and reduced readmissions in a U.S. medical center and may do the same elsewhere, researchers in Ohio suggest. “A few decades ago, patients with severe psoriasis, drug reactions, blistering diseases and even severe eczema would be admitted to the hospital under close dermatology…
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