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

Medicare Advantage Grows, but Provider Choice Is Limited

Mark Miller  |  

CHICAGO (Reuters)—Medicare enrollees are moving in greater numbers than ever to the program’s managed care option as a way to save money. But the tradeoff is much less ability to use their preferred doctors and hospitals. Seniors can choose between traditional fee-for-service Medicare—which is accepted by most healthcare providers—or a Medicare Advantage plan. The latter…

White House Proposes Measures to Speed Genomic Test Development

Toni Clarke  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The White House announced on Wednesday measures aimed at advancing President Barack Obama’s precision medicine initiative, including plans to speed the development of tests used to identify genetic mutations and guide medical treatment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it planned to issue a proposal to create performance standards to guide development of…

U.S. Republicans Reject Democratic Funding Proposals for Opioids

Reuters Staff  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican lawmakers in U.S. Congress on Wednesday rejected two Democratic amendments to provide nearly $1 billion in funding for bipartisan legislation intended to combat America’s opioid epidemic, aides said. The rejection, which came during a meeting of U.S. House of Representatives and Senate negotiators on the measure, could undermine Democratic support for…

U.S. Judge Cuts $500 Million Verdict over Johnson & Johnson Hip Implants

Jessica Dye  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—A U.S. judge has slashed a $500 million verdict against Johnson and Johnson and its DePuy unit over allegedly defective metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implants to approximately $151 million. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade in the Northern District of Texas says he was compelled to reduce the verdict under a Texas state…

The ACR Opposes Part B Payment Demo & Other Highlights from the AMA HOD Meeting

Gary Bryant  |  

On June 15, the ACR and partnering physician specialist groups passed an American Medical Association (AMA) resolution opposing the proposed Medicare Part B drug payment demonstration during the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) meeting held June 11–15 in Chicago. Part B Payment Demo Resolution The resolution, which the ACR supported with the American Society of…

ACR Publishes National Research Agenda for 2016–2020

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Defining new therapeutic targets and developing new therapies are among the goals of the 2016–2020 ACR National Research Agenda. So, too, is understanding early disease states, defining triggers of autoimmunity and examining disparities in access to medication and treatment.1 Charting a Course Every five years, the Committee on Research (COR) is tasked with helping chart the…

GI Side Effects Leading Reason for Bisphosphonate Nonadherence

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Gastrointestinal side effects are the most common reason osteoporotic women cite for nonadherence to oral bisphosphonate therapy, according to a new survey. “Our findings highlight the importance of low tolerability to nonadherence with osteoporosis therapy and underlines patients’ poor awareness and suboptimal physicians’ involvement in conveying the importance of this therapy,” Dr….

Biosimilars: Unanswered Questions

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Debate continues about how biosimilars that are emerging to treat rheumatic diseases will be named and monitored, said panelists at a recent meeting in Washington, D.C.—Biosimilars in the United States: Next Steps. Angus Worthing, MD, FACR, FACP, a member of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee, shared rheumatologists’ concerns as these new therapies come to market….

Prepare Now to Survive MACRA

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The year 2015 brought an end to the much-maligned Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), sometimes known as the “doc fix.” The SGR established limits on Medicare reimbursement for physicians, and each year, physicians and those lobbying on their behalf were forced to stave off drastic cuts to their payments. “The SGR was Congress’s attempt to control…