ATLANTA—The ACR is actively engaged with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) drug shortage team as they work with the manufacturer to resolve current shortages of tocilizumab (Actemra). Demand for tocilizumab has outpaced supply, with demand increasing after the FDA’s June 24 Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for…
Example 1 A cardiologist contacts a rheumatologist concerning a lupus patient. The rheumatologist sees the patient four weeks later for a complete examination. A 20-minute call is initiated to review the findings and the patient’s chart with the cardiologist. After the call is completed, the rheumatologist completes a verbal and written report to the patient’s…
The Rheumatology Research Foundation is proud to announce the launch of RheumBuilders, a new community of monthly donors, and the relaunch of its Legacy Society, a community of donors who have included the Foundation in their wills or estate plans. These initiatives are designed to deepen the Foundation’s commitment to rheumatology research and patient care,…
In 2016, as part of the Simple Tasks campaign, the ACR established September as Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month (RDAM) to draw attention to the 100-plus conditions under the rheumatic disease umbrella. The goal of RDAM is not only to raise public awareness, but also to increase understanding about the symptoms, risk factors, treatment options, economic…
ATLANTA—The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today applauded the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to withdraw a proposed rule to implement the “Most Favored Nation” (MFN) payment model for Part B drugs. Leaders felt the policy would have dramatically disrupted patient access to critical therapies needed to manage rheumatic diseases and…
On Aug. 1, UnitedHealthcare implemented a new policy on Services Incident-to a Supervising Health Care Provider that allows for appropriate reimbursement for “incident-to” services consistent with current Medicare guidelines.
With lawmakers home for the summer recess, you have the opportunity to meet with them in their local offices and help them understand how key legislation affects patients and healthcare providers. The ACR offers tools, resources and more to help.
Applications are now open for the ACR’s Advocacy 101 program, held in conjunction with Advocates for Arthritis. Amanda Schnell, MD, describes how ACR/ARP members can learn to be successful advocates for rheumatology.
In the proposed rule released July 13, the ACR is encouraged by the continued implementation of evaluation and management reimbursement adjustments to better reflect the work and expertise needed to treat complex patient populations, the extension of many telehealth flexibilities and the inclusion of the ACR’s proposed MACRA MIPS Value Pathway for rheumatology.
ACR staff have highlighted critical changes for the 2022 performance year outlined in the proposed rule released July 13 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.