A presentation at ACR Convergence 2021 discussed the 2020 ACR Guideline for the Management of Gout, the latest information on the risk of cardiovascular death associated with febuxostat and the use of pegloticase for patients with gout.
The final rule, issued Nov. 2, finalizes many proposed policies, including a decreased conversion factor, billing for shared visits and teaching services, continuation of telehealth services and inclusion of an ACR-led Merit-Based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway.
The final rule, issued Nov. 2, finalizes many policies in the July proposed rule, including the decreased conversion factor, billing for shared visits and teaching services, the continuation of telehealth services and inclusion of an ACR-led Merit-Based Incentive Payment System Value Pathway.
After a year marked with rheumatology gains in evaluation and management valuation, as well as quality reporting, ongoing ACR efforts target impending Medicare reimbursement cuts and other practice challenges.
“Advocacy is not about bribery. There’s nothing dirty about advocating for your patients and the future of your profession in terms of workforce, therapeutic advances and the financial viability of our practices. It’s our duty to do this,” he says. In his new role as the RheumPAC chair, he wants to help ACR/ARP members “see how vital these activities are to the success of our profession.”
If passed, the ACR-led resolutions will direct the AMA to advocate for state-level pharmacy benefit manager reform and to fix broken Medicare Administrator Contractor processes. Several other specialties joined the ACR’s resolutions as supporting cosponsors.
Selected ACR members will be invited to participate in a survey from the AMA Relative Value Update Committee. If you do, respond by the listed date. Data from these surveys helps set Medicare and other payer reimbursement rates.
(Reuters Health)—Nail salon drying lamps that emit ultraviolet (UV) light may contribute to periungual cutaneous lupus erythematosus lesions, according to case reports detailed in a recent publication.1 Exposure to the sun has long been linked to exacerbations of skin lupus, and, more recently, other types of light sources including surgical lamps have been connected to…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats promised voters sweeping drug price reform in their signature social spending bill but agreed to move ahead with a far less ambitious proposal after facing opposition in Congress. The plan could still fail as hurdles remain to approving the broader spending package, known as “Build Back…