On July 28, 2018, the USP will publish preliminary updates to existing drug compounding standards that could affect whether rheumatologists maintain the ability to mix, combine or otherwise customize medications in office for individual patient use. The ACR, in concert with the American Medical Association (AMA) and others, is working to help ensure rheumatologists can…
ACR Leads Coalition Response to HHS Proposed Drug Pricing Threats
Potential federal drug pricing proposals could shuffle Part B drug coverage into the Part D program and restructure reimbursements for new drugs, moves that would jeopardize patient access to care, explains Kent “Kwas” Huston, MD, a rheumatologist in Kansas City, Mo., and a member of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC). “We believe Part D…
Arkansas PBM Bill: A Step in the Right Direction
During a three-day special legislative session in March, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) signed into law the first bill in the U.S. intended to address a lack of transparency among pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their role in the high cost of prescription drugs.1 The bill, H.B. 1010: Arkansas Pharmacy Benefits Manager Licensure Act, will…
The ACR’s 2018 Legislative & Regulatory Priorities
A recent Politico article outlined the looming agenda facing Congress as 2018 begins: Fund the government, raise the debt ceiling, modify spending caps, address healthcare subsidies, allocate additional funds for disaster relief, and address the status of millions of undocumented young immigrants.1 Amid all that activity, the ACR, through its Government Affairs Committee (GAC) and…
The Battle with Insurance Companies to Obtain Prescriptions
If you are a news junkie, then you know that a tick-tock is a story that relies heavily on chronology, counting down the events of the day, in order, as inexorably as the ticking clock. These types of timeline stories have become very popular in the fast-paced world of modern politics, in which readers eat…
Invest in RheumPAC Now to Support the Future of Rheumatology
If there’s one thing America needs right now, it’s more money in politics. I’m being facetious, but I do want to ask all of you to invest in RheumPAC today. Given the relatively small size of our subspecialty, it is easy for lawmakers to overlook the consequences that laws may have on our field of…
Advocacy Team Celebrates Healthcare Fixes, Prepares to Face New Threats
Greetings, Advocates! Great news for the rheumatology community came on Feb. 9, when the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was enacted. It contains several critical healthcare fixes pertinent to rheumatology. First, after hundreds of emails, meetings, letters to the editor, an op-ed, and a forceful 109-member coalition (led by the ACR and including many state…
20 U.S. States Sue Federal Government Seeking End to Obamacare
(Reuters)—A coalition of 20 U.S. states sued the federal government on Monday over Obamacare, claiming the law was no longer constitutional after the repeal last year of its requirement that people have health insurance or pay a fine. Led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, the lawsuit said that…
U.S. to Extend Skimpy Health Insurance Outside of Obamacare
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters)—The U.S. government on Tuesday proposed extending the availability of skimpy health insurance plans to millions of Americans in another Trump administration move aimed at undercutting the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule that such plans, now available…
The New Tax Bill’s Implications for Healthcare
On Dec. 20, 2017, Congress passed a massive tax bill that will have an impact on nearly every individual and business in America. The bill makes sweeping revisions to existing tax provisions, and it will largely affect the health industry. Individual Mandate Repealed The bill repeals the individual mandate established in 2005 by the Affordable…
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