Amanda Wiegrefe, MSc, the ACR’s director of regulatory affairs, said one of the more favorable developments since President Biden took office is the extension of telehealth flexibilities through 2023.
“This allows us to spend much of next year working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to look and see which parts of these telehealth flexibilities will continue to work and which parts may not be appropriate in a post-pandemic world,” Ms. Wiegrefe said. “The ACR certainly believes that telehealth is a great supplement for patients and providers, but it is not a substitute for in-person care, and we will be sure that is crystal clear when we have this conversation.”
Another big relief was the proposed elimination of the Most Favored Nation model in drug pricing, which was ostensibly meant to lower drug pricing but raised concerns about access to care, Ms. Wiegrefe said.
On the coronavirus front, the ACR will continue to advocate for immunocompromised individuals to be granted early access to vaccinations, she said.
Patient Perspective
Amy Barron, RN, a retired medical professional and woman with rheumatologic disease who has become an outspoken advocate for patients, said advocacy has dramatically changed her life for the better. Having had 15 rheumatic illnesses—10 of which she was actively managing at the time of the talk—she took notice of a brochure about an arthritis event. That sparked her interest, leading her to help with petition drives and to frequent visits to the offices of government leaders.
“I realized I was the best person to tell my personal story. If I didn’t tell my representatives in Congress my story, who would?” Ms. Barron asked.
She suggested that those considering becoming involved in advocacy follow the lead of the ACR—and other organizations—sign up for action alerts and not to be afraid to ask government representatives for support.
“Many times, your representative is not aware of a particular issue unless a constituent brings it to their attention,” Ms. Barron said. “You might be the first person to approach them about arthritis legislation.” She emphasized that arthritis policy is a non-partisan topic and that politics should be avoided in interactions with government leaders. But she said to remember that the “representatives work for you” and “you’re the expert about arthritis.”
Working in advocacy builds self-esteem and confidence, benefits the wider community and fulfills the duties of citizenship, she said.
