Effective for claims with dates of service on or after Oct. 1, 2017, UnitedHealthCare (UHC) plans to no longer reimburse consultation services represented by CPT codes 99241–99245 and 99251–99255. In lieu of a consultation services procedure code, UHC says it will “reimburse the appropriate evaluation and management (E/M) procedure code which describes the office visit,…
Help the ACR Bring Its Message to the Hill
The ACR will be back on Capitol Hill Sept. 26 to advocate for lower out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs and the repeal of arbitrary Medicare therapy caps, as well as to shed light on the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in drug pricing. But it will take the voice of all rheumatology professionals and…
ACR/ARHP Makes Another Push to Repeal Medicare Therapy Caps
H.R. 807, Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2017, will be one of the key issues discussed when members of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC) visit Capitol Hill Sept. 26 during the annual Advocates for Arthritis event. This bill—as well as its companion bill in the Senate, S. 253—is aimed at repealing the…
Why We Advocate to Certain Congressional Committees over Others
The U.S. Congress refers to the bicameral legislature, consisting of the 435 voting and six non-voting members of the House of Representatives and the 100 members of the Senate. When we visit D.C. or express our policy positions to Congress, our message would ideally reach every member. The ultimate goal is to reach all 541…
CMS Announces 90% Cut to Obamacare’s Advertising Budget
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said on Thursday it plans to spend $10 million on advertising for the upcoming Obamacare open enrollment period that starts in November, a sharp cut from the $100 million spent last year. The agency also said it will cut funding for so-called navigators, who help…
ACR Seeks Legislation to Help Ease Workforce Shortage
With a shortage of rheumatologists in the U.S. already a problem and projected to get far worse, the ACR is advocating the passage of a variety of laws that would help narrow the gap. Legislation being fought for by ACR advocacy leaders involves streamlining visa processing for foreign physicians and promoting incentives for physicians to…
N.Y. Rheumatologist Makes Advocacy a Priority
In 2005, not long after he became a private practice rheumatologist on Long Island, N.Y., Howard Blumstein, MD, dipped his toe into the advocacy pool at the encouragement of his partner, Max Hamburger, MD. “I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the issues that affect our patients and our practices, and I…
Investments in Legislative Advocacy Pay Off for Ohio Association of Rheumatology
Like many other state rheumatology associations, the Ohio Association of Rheumatology (OAR) has recently been actively advocating for patient care at the state legislative level. The most recent example of OAR’s efforts included an Advocacy Day on May 4, when members met with state legislators to discuss topics of interest. It was the fourth such…
The ACR Seeks Legislation to Help Ease Rheumatologist Workforce Shortage
With a shortage of rheumatologists in the U.S. already a problem and projected to get far worse, the ACR is advocating for the passage of a variety of laws that would help narrow the gap. Legislation being fought for by ACR advocacy leaders involves streamlining visa processing for foreign physicians and promoting incentives for physicians…
Hundreds of Diseases. One Voice.
Continually building awareness and understanding of rheumatic diseases is critical to both our profession and patient care, according to Kelly Weselman, MD, a rheumatologist in Smyrna, Ga., and a passionate advocate involved in planning the ACR’s annual Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month (RDAM). “Unlike cancer patients, whose disease is well known, patients battling a rheumatic disease…
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