ACR Convergence 2025| Video: Rheum for Everyone, Episode 26—Ableism

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

Articles by Natasha Yetman

U.S. Government Proposes Rule Overhauling Drug Industry Rebate System

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—The U.S. government proposed a rule to end the industry-wide system of after-market discounts called rebates that pharmacy benefit managers receive from drugmakers, a practice that has been under scrutiny. If finalized, the rule would change a system that has been in place for decades and that increasingly has been criticized for obfuscating…

U.S. Judge Throws Out Maryland Bid to Protect Obamacare

Lawrence Hurley  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—On Feb. 1, a U.S. judge threw out the state of Maryland’s bid to protect the healthcare law, known as Obamacare, in a ruling that also sidestepped a decision on whether President Donald Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general was lawful. In a win for the Republican president, Baltimore-based U.S. District…

U.S. Senate Finance Committee Invites Pharma Execs to Testify

Reuters Staff  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—A powerful U.S. Senate committee on has invited seven pharmaceutical companies to testify at a hearing later this month examining rising prescription drug prices. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking member of the committee, invited executives from AbbVie Inc., AstraZeneca PLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.,…

RA Effectiveness Differs Among Non-TNF Inhibitors

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outcomes are better with some non-TNF inhibitors than with others, according to French registry data. “Previously, indirect comparisons (meta-analyses) did not show any difference between biologics in terms of effectiveness,” Dr. Jacques-Eric Gottenberg from Strasbourg University Hospital, France, tells Reuters Health by email. “Our direct comparison using observational data…

Walking Ability of OA Patients Linked to Cardiovascular Risk

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

New research explores the association of the ability to walk and the risk of cardiovascular disease in OA patients compared with the general population. During the study, researchers recorded a six-minute walking distance and measured arterial stiffness of participants. The results: Even among younger people, OA patients could not walk as far as those in the general population. Also, arterial stiffness was inversely associated with walking distance, suggesting walking is important to the cardiovascular risk profile of OA patients…

What Do JIA Patients Experience? A New Case Study from the ARP Practice Committee

Talitha Cox, OT, MA, on behalf of the ARP Practice Committee  |  

What does a new patient experience as symptoms develop and diagnosis is confirmed? The ARP Practice Committee is developing persona-based case studies to help answer this and other questions. The latest topic is juvenile idiopathic arthritis…

New EPA Rule May Hinder Health Research

Linda Carroll  |  

(Reuters Health)—A new rule proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may make it almost impossible to uncover hazards such as dirty air, polluted water and environmental toxins, researchers say. The rule mandates that all underlying data from studies be made available to any and all researchers in the interests of transparency. But while…

Medicare Changes Could Have Some Patients Paying More for Drugs

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—A proposed shift in Medicare coverage for medicines administered by doctors may help reduce total drug spending, but a new study suggests it may also lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for some patients. Right now, drugs given by infusion or injection in outpatient settings are covered by Medicare Part B, which is part of…

Updated ACP Ethics Manual Provides 6-Step Approach to Dilemmas

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The 2019 edition of the American College of Physicians (ACP) ethics manual provides a six-step approach to resolving ethical dilemmas and adds or expands sections that address emerging issues in 21st century medicine.1 “The Manual provides succinct guidance on issues that affect the patient-physician relationship, and also issues that have to do…

U.S. Lawmaker Launches Investigation into Pharma Drug Pricing

Yasmeen Abutaleb  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—A top U.S. lawmaker has launched an investigation into pharmaceutical industry pricing practices, less than a week after he and fellow Democrats introduced legislation aimed at lowering medicine prices. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who chairs the U.S. House Oversight Committee, sent letters to 12 drug makers seeking information on price increases, investment in research…