Video: Every Case Tells a Story| Webinar: ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Articles by From the College

ALERT: 2010 ICD-9-CM/CPT Code Changes

  |  

As of January 1, physicians can no longer bill the inpatient/outpatient consultation evaluation and management (E/M) codes for Medicare patients. E/M codes for new or established patients should be used as appropriate.

Reach Out To Local Media to Promote Rheumatology

  |  

The ACR is committed to advocating on behalf of its members. This could be on Capitol Hill, by working with insurance providers, or by working with the media to promote the work of rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals and advance the issues affecting them.

Without You, ACR REF Wouldn’t Be Here

  |  

In 1998, the ACR Research and Education Foundation (REF) funded a total of $500,000 in grants. This year, the REF funded more than $4.6 million in grants through its core portfolio, which is an increase of over $4 million in funding capabilities in just 10 years. The REF also achieved the distinction of becoming the second largest funding source—just behind the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—of rheumatology research and training programs in the United States and was recently awarded the prestigious four-star rating from Charity Navigator. These achievements could not have been realized without the generous financial support of REF donors.

Letters to the Editor: In Memoriam

The Rheumatologist  |  

One more prescribing rule [See “Rheuminations,” September 2009, p. 6], honored mainly in the breach, in our overspending climate: don’t prescribe an expensive brand when generics are as good or better, especially Nexium (which I have never prescribed) versus omeprazole, Lipitor versus simvastatin (which now costs the VA three cents a pill), and—for rheumatologists who are writing 80% Uloric—allopurinol except for the 10% who might need Uloric.

Look at What the New Rheumatology Image Bank Can Do for You

  |  

The Rheumatology Image Bank is an online library that features clinical, pathologic, and radiologic images of major adult and pediatric rheumatic diseases and conditions. Launched in late October, the Rheumatology Image Bank is a centralized resource for clinicians, researchers, and health professionals that provides assistance in selfstudy or the education of others.

Free Certified Education Units (CEUs) for Coders

  |  

In these hard economic times, it is good to have access to free educational tools that coders can use to maintain their certification. If you or your coders are certified with the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), there are some helpful avenues to getting free CEUs.