On Nov. 1, after months of advocacy efforts spearheaded by the ACR and others, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2019 Medicare physician fee schedule rule, and it included several victories for rheumatology. Upon initial review, it appears the CMS has taken into account the concerns expressed by the ACR and…
Protect Your Practice: Action Update From the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee
Both private and academic rheumatology practices face payer challenges that put the health of their patients and their practices at risk. To make sure the rheumatologist perspective is heard by payers, “the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) serves as the interface between payers and our members and ACR colleagues,” explains Sean Fahey, MD, a rheumatologist in…
RheumPAC Champions Recognized
Election Day 2018 has come and gone, and a new class of legislators will be joining the ranks of Congress in January. RheumPAC is the most important tool we have to establish relationships with our new legislators and this year, our ACR volunteer leaders stepped up and matched all donations to RheumPAC leading up to…
ACR Leaders Outline Advocacy Victories, Threats
CHICAGO—ACR leaders described a series of looming legislative and regulatory threats to rheumatologists and their patients—including the proposed collapsing of evaluation and management (E/M) coding and potential changes to step therapy rules—and urged everyone in the field to make their voices heard to quash the proposals. They also recounted recent victories in the policy realm…
ARHP Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Christina H. Opava, PhD, RPT
CHICAGO—Christina H. Opava, PhD, RPT, is the recipient of the 2018 ARHP Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented (along with the other ACR and ARHP awards) during the opening session of the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting on Oct. 20. “Receiving this award is an immense honor,” she tells The Rheumatologist. “My first thought was that…
Heart of a Champion: The 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Kicks Off with Dramatic Keynote
“You’re probably going to die tonight. You should call your family.” Jonathan Koch, president and CCO of Asylum Entertainment LLC, told his touching and inspiring story of mysterious illness, resilience and recovery in the keynote presentation of the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.
RISE Lifts Research: The 2018 Annual Meeting Features 6 New Studies Based on RISE Data
Data from the ACR’s Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) were used by rheumatology researchers in a crop of new studies that will be presented at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, Oct. 19–24 in Chicago. Six abstracts, including four oral and two poster presentations, were accepted for this year’s meeting. They explore topics ranging from…
RISE Dashboard Updates Help Users Report 2018 MIPS Data
As the year begins to wind down, Zach McMurray is gearing up for 2018 MIPS reporting. Despite the “always changing and usually confusing landscape of MACRA/MIPS,” he says his practice isn’t worried because it uses the ACR’s Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) qualified clinical data registry. Mr. McMurray is director of clinical information systems…
RISE Up & Learn: Opportunities to Learn More
The Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry is a constantly evolving resource, and many valuable offerings are being made available at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Chicago. Here’s a list of things you won’t want to miss: RISE Booth in the Discovery Center Join RISE at the ACR Discovery Center inside the exhibit…
Down Time at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: What to See & Do in Chicago
With the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting nearly upon us, the time has come to plan your trip to Chicago. The Annual Meeting is Oct. 19–24 at McCormick Center, which means attendees will see beautiful views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline, highlighting the city’s unique architecture. The weather in October, although unpredictable, is generally…