How You Can Help
All bills will need to be reintroduced in the new 117th Congress in 2021. Watch for calls to action to send letters to Congress or the administration to continue to expand telehealth flexibility and ensure appropriate reimbursement, support complex code add-ons and enact workforce policies. Also, watch for state action alerts to send letters to state legislators if you live in a state that has not passed step therapy reform. Join us for Advocates for Arthritis events; we would love to see you.
Up Next
As we look ahead in 2021, the ACR government affairs team will be tackling several issues:
- Advocating for support for patients and providers during the remainder of the pandemic and monitoring any legislation and regulations that could affect provider and practice solvency;
- Protecting rheumatology evaluation and management payment increases;
- Engaging on policies related to telemedicine;
- Advancing legislation and regulations in the areas of:
- Prior authorization and other utilization management issues;
- Workforce;
- Telemedicine expansion and appropriate reimbursement; and
- NIH/DOD funding for rheumatology research;
- Engaging on drug pricing proposed policies and pilot programs and defending patient access to treatment;
- Addressing issues such as DXA and musculoskeletal ultrasound reimbursement; and
- Monitoring implementation of the new requirements related to surprise billing, including the rollout of the independent dispute resolution program through which payers and providers will negotiate reimbursement.
RheumPAC Update
RheumPAC and ACR advocacy efforts were not spared the pandemic’s impact. However, in mid-March, we made the decision to halt RheumPAC solicitations because of the tremendous financial challenges we were all facing. In addition to worry over our own health and that of our families, providers across the spectrum of care faced grave financial strain, and many were unsure how they would keep their doors open.
Although we halted solicitations, the work of RheumPAC and the ACR advocacy team did not lose steam. Leveraging the existing relationships that your RheumPAC contributions have helped cultivate over the years, we flexed our strength to remind Congress that rheumatology providers needed support for practices to stay open and deliver needed care for our patient population. We were pleased to see COVID-19 relief packages pass through Congress, and we anticipate additional support packages are on the horizon.
We were also able to successfully advocate on behalf of our members who were suddenly thrust into the new world of telemedicine.
Meanwhile, we continued to advocate for many of our pre-COVID-19 legislative and regulatory priorities, including a historic win for an estimated average 14–15% increase in Medicare payments for evaluation and management services, reauthorization of the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment program, enactment of surprise billing legislation, and accruing more support for step therapy and prior authorization reform bills in the House and Senate.
Recognizing the key role of RheumPAC in facilitating our advocacy successes and the ever-increasing number of important policy discussions taking place in Congress, we decided it was critical to resume fundraising in August. Adequate resources were needed to continue to educate legislators on the serious issues the rheumatology community continues to face.
We thank everyone who, despite the extraordinary circumstances, gave any amount this year to RheumPAC. I’m proud that, in the face of all that 2020 threw at us, we were still able to raise $124,000 from 286 individuals.
With a vaccine now being deployed, 2021 is looking better, but we still have our work cut out for us on Capitol Hill, and RheumPAC will be a key component in getting our legislative priorities across the finish line in a new Congress. As a reminder, our mission is to educate, support and thank our key partners in Congress. Every single dollar raised goes directly to carefully chosen campaigns that maximize our reach. With so many new faces in Congress and different legislators in key leadership positions, it will be especially important that RheumPAC continue to build relationships with the offices of the many healthcare policy stakeholders.
We are a small specialty, but your contributions to RheumPAC have amplified our voice on the Hill. To continue to support and grow that voice, we need your help. In addition to your 2021 contribution, ask your colleagues to join you in supporting the advocacy priorities that will ensure the future of rheumatology.
Visit www.rheumpac.org to help us start the year off strong by making your 2021 donation or setting up a smaller monthly recurring donation to help rheumatology.
Thank you for your time, efforts, enthusiasm and perseverance. We look forward to an ongoing conversation about how advocacy and health policy affect you and your patients.
