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

From the College

A Glance at the Evolving Rheumatology Practice

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The healthcare delivery environment is ever evolving and has experienced rapid growth in the past few decades. These changes are reflected within rheumatology practices in how the rheumatology care team interacts with patients and how patients manage their care.

In Advocacy, Slow and Steady Wins the Race

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Earlier in the year, it seemed that healthcare reform was stopped in its tracks because of the Massachusetts Senate special election—which placed Republican Scott Brown in the seat held by the “Liberal Lion,” Edward M. Kennedy. The Senate Democrats lost their supermajority and the momentum to pass President Obama’s healthcare reform legislation subsided. But through strong lobbying by the president, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)—comprehensive healthcare reform—on March 21, and the president signed the bill into law on March 23.

Coding Note

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As of January 1, 2010, Medicare eliminated both inpatient and outpatient consultation codes.

I Have the Data—Now What?

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Rheumatologists practicing in the current healthcare environment are experiencing unprecedented information flow, data management issues, and a rise in quality designations and pay-for-performance incentive programs. There is increasing pressure on rheumatologists to document or capture treatment concordance with guideline recommendations and best practices and to monitor gaps in care and patient outcomes. Unfortunately, some quality programs are not considered clinically meaningful, and even those that are often bring administrative burdens related to reporting, data aggregation, and analysis.

Technology and Pay-for-Performance

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Medicare and private payers are increasingly developing programs to reward physicians based on clinical benchmarks. As more payers embrace this approach, practices are looking to technology to help them manage complex reporting requirements.