The Rheumatology Research Foundation’s largest fundraising campaign, Journey to Cure, has surpassed its $60 million fundraising, raising a grand total of $61,430,466. With the support of 3,869 donors, the campaign has funded awards for more than 900 rheumatology professionals. “The success of Journey to Cure demonstrates the commitment rheumatologists and health professionals have to impacting…
Did you know that there are more state legislators in this country than practicing rheumatologists? There are more than 7,300 state legislators alone, and each represents tens of thousands of constituents. As providers, you have a unique expertise that can be valuable to legislators in making decisions on biosimilars, research funding, insurance reform and a…
Rheumatology is a relatively small subspecialty, but our patients need us to be strong advocates for them, ensuring access to the care they need. That’s why the ACR is calling on all of our members to join the American Medical Association (AMA) or renew your membership. Without a unified voice, we have no voice. We’ve…
On behalf of the rheumatology community, the ACR recently submitted an entry for a rheumatology-specific Clinical Practice Improvement Activity (CPIA) that, if accepted, will be included in the 2018 performance year. The CMS put a call out to the public for CPIAs in an attempt to make MACRA more meaningful for participating providers. The ACR…
RheumPAC’s first quarter progress indicates that it’s right on track to meet its monetary goals, but it’s not just about the money.
The ACR Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) regularly engages with insurance companies to discuss concerns raised by ACR members and advocate for appropriate coverage and payment policies. The ISC has gotten off to a busy start in 2017, working on a variety of patient access and reimbursement issues. Two recent issues the ISC has taken action on…
Take the challenge. CPT: 99203 This encounter is coded as 99203, because it included: History—The history of present illness was extended. The review of systems was complete, and the past medical, family and social were documented. This makes the history comprehensive. Examination—Expanded detailed. Medical decision making—The diagnosis was a new problem with no additional workup…
A 13-year-old black male, described by his mother as a very active and energetic child, is referred to a pediatric rheumatologist. His chief complaint is muscle pain in both legs, which he has experienced for the past three weeks. His mother is a patient of an adult rheumatologist at this clinic and is quite concerned….
Overcoding is a common term used when discussing fraud and abuse in reporting procedures and services not supported by the actual work performed. Alternatively, undercoding—or failing to report the full extent of services or procedures provided—is an equally unsound practice and a compliance risk. In the world of quality reporting, undercoding can have damaging effects…
“You can’t win last night’s game again.” —George Karl, professional basketball player and coach Amid the angst and upheaval from our recent elections and associated uncertainty for future healthcare policies, one thing remains clear: We must increase our engagement with our elected officials to educate them on the needs of our profession and our patients….