The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / RheumPAC Advocates for Department of Defense Arthritis Research Funding

RheumPAC Advocates for Department of Defense Arthritis Research Funding

August 1, 2019 • By Matt Baker, MD, MS

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

RheumPAC is the ACR’s nonpartisan political action committee that promotes the needs of rheumatology providers and patients. Advocacy efforts often focus on legislation to improve the day-to-day clinical care of rheumatology patients, such as establishing clinical exceptions to step therapy requirements and reforming the prior authorization process. In addition, the ACR and RheumPAC recognize the importance of both clinical and basic science research and advocate vigorously to preserve and promote research funding opportunities within the field of rheumatology.

You Might Also Like
  • The ACR Joins Call for Dedicated Arthritis Research Funding to Help Veterans
  • The ACR Asks Congress to Dedicate Arthritis Research Funding to Help Military Service Members
  • Arthritis Advocacy Spotlights the Military: Veterans, including a rheumatologist, educate lawmakers about arthritis’ impact & the need for research funding

In recent years, the ACR was able to help influence Congress to increase medical research funding through the National Institutes of Health by $1.25 billion, despite a proposal by the Trump administration to decrease funding. Similarly, the ACR continues to advocate for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Arthritis Program. Despite these successes, the ongoing unmet need for arthritis research funding is demonstrated by the fact that arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. As a rheumatology community, we must continue to advocate for additional, much needed resources.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Advocating for DOD Arthritis Research Funding
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is explicitly charged with funding research on diseases that affect our military members. The incidence of osteoarthritis is more than twice as high in the military population over the age of 40 compared with the general population, showing a clear need for better prevention and treatment of this condition.1,2 Osteoarthritis affects both the number and readiness of available service members, because it is the most common condition resulting from battle injury that leads to medical discharge from the military.3,4 In addition, arthritis is the leading cause of disability among veterans, with 32% reporting doctor-diagnosed arthritis compared with 22% of non-veterans.5

The physical demands of the military put service members at significantly increased risk of developing post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Despite the call for research to enhance prevention and management of joint injuries to minimize the disabling effect of joint degeneration in this young patient population, arthritis does not yet have its own dedicated research program at the DOD.4

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Meanwhile, funding increases annually for diseases more weakly correlated with military service. Currently, more than 30 designated disease areas are funded through the DOD’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), including spinal cord injury ($30 million in FY19), Gulf War illness ($22 million in FY19) and breast cancer ($130 million in FY19). We believe that arthritis deserves a similar focus.

For the past several years, the ACR and RheumPAC have teamed up with the Arthritis Foundation and advocated for dedicated arthritis research funding as part of the CDMRP, which was created in 1992 to promote biomedical research that benefits both service members and the American public.

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Legislation & Advocacy, Rheumatoid Arthritis Tagged With: DoD research funding, Matt Baker, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), RheumPAC

You Might Also Like:
  • The ACR Joins Call for Dedicated Arthritis Research Funding to Help Veterans
  • The ACR Asks Congress to Dedicate Arthritis Research Funding to Help Military Service Members
  • Arthritis Advocacy Spotlights the Military: Veterans, including a rheumatologist, educate lawmakers about arthritis’ impact & the need for research funding
  • Increase NIH Funding, Participate in Advocates for Arthritis

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.