- Incentivize qualified clinical data registry (QCDR) participation through grants or enhanced reimbursement;
- Align value-based programs with specialty registries like RISE; and
- Invest in patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures and tools that connect directly with registries.
These strategies, the ACR argues, help states lower costs, close care gaps and ensure that policy decisions are grounded in real-world clinical data.
Expanding Access Through Telemedicine & Team-Based Care
The ACR has stressed the need for team-based models that empower primary care providers (PCPs) to manage stable, lower-complexity patients while maintaining consultation access to specialists.
The ACR recommends:
- Telementorship programs, such as Project ECHO and the ACR’s Rheumatology Access Expansion (RAE) initiative, to train PCPs and physician extenders;
- Funding for nurse and physician assistant onboarding to rheumatology practices; and
- Reimbursement for specialist consultations that support collaborative care.
These models, the ACR notes, can improve access and continuity of care without sacrificing quality, especially in rural regions.
Looking Ahead
Through these responses, the ACR continues to demonstrate its value as a key stakeholder in shaping evidence-based, patient-focused health policies across the states. By engaging early in the policymaking process, the ACR helps ensure that initiatives intended to transform care—whether through payment reform, workforce investment or affordability programs—truly improve outcomes for people living with rheumatic diseases.
The College will continue to work collaboratively with state officials, provider organizations and patient advocates through the implementation of the Rural Health Transformation Program. Throughout the process, the ACR will pursue policies to improve access to rheumatology care to better meet the needs of patients.
Joseph Cantrell, JD, is the ACR’s director of state affairs and community relations.
