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

Reminder: How to Handle Part D Prior Authorization Requests

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As we begin another new year, many rheumatology practices will again receive prior authorization requests from Medicare Part D for all methotrexate prescriptions. When methotrexate is used as a chemotherapeutic drug, it’s covered by Part B, but when it’s used as an oral agent for rheumatoid arthritis, it’s covered by Part D. Early in the…

Medical Records Don’t Always Match What Patients Say

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Symptoms that patients describe to doctors may not always be documented in electronic medical records, a small U.S. study suggests. To test out how well the records match reality, researchers compared symptoms that 162 patients checked off on paper-based questionnaires with the information entered in patients’ electronic charts at eye clinics. Roughly one-third of…

Biosimilar Update: ACR Says FDA Draft Guidance Is Promising & Biosimilar to Humira (Adalimumab) Enters Regulatory Review

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The ACR has released a statement, responding positively to the release of the latest U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft guidance on biosimilar drug development. Also, BI 695501, a biosimilar to Humira (adalimumab) made by Boehringer Ingelheim, has been accepted for regulatory review in both the U.S. and Europe. ACR Responds to FDA Biosimilar…

Herpes Zoster & the Risk of Stroke in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases

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Herpes zoster (HZ) infection, also known as shingles, is caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus infection generally acquired decades earlier. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the incidence of stroke immediately following HZ infection is increased in patients with autoimmune diseases compared with the incidence of stroke at later time points. Results: In patients with autoimmune diseases, incident HZ was associated with as much as a twofold increased risk of stroke. Prompt antiviral therapy was associated with lower incidence of subsequent stroke…

UnitedHealthcare Delays Lab Program Implementation in Texas

Sean Fahey  |  

As you probably know, the ACR is one of several organizations that has been advocating against the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Laboratory Benefit Management Program, which was launched in Florida in 2014 and was due to expand to Texas on March 1. The program requires use of certain laboratories and online physician decision support for certain tests,…

Principles Would Streamline Prior Authorization Processes

Carol Patton  |  

The ACR recently partnered with the American Medical Association (AMA) and a coalition of 16 other organizations representing physicians, medical groups, hospitals, pharmacists and patients to dramatically reshape prior-authorization protocols. The coalition is urging an industry-wide reassessment of these protocols to align with a newly created set of 21 principles, called the Prior Authorization and…

FDA Update: FDA Delays Baricitinib Review & Removes Bupropion & Varenicline Warnings

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FDA Review of Baricitinib Delayed The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the review period for baricitinib, an investigational medication for treating moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).1 Baricitinib is a once-daily oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor currently in clinical studies for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The New Drug Application (NDA) for baricitinib…