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

Legislation & Advocacy

To Fix Health Policy, You (Yes, You) Have to Get Involved

Jeffrey Lawson, MD  |  

I can’t tell you how many times I have conversed with a colleague about the state of health policy and heard, “It’s broken.” I invariably have to ask, “What have you done to fix it?” Often times I get a blank stare or an excuse about how Congress doesn’t listen.

Congress Spending More Time at Home: Good News for Advocates

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Members of Congress will spend more time in their respective districts this year. This is great news for both experienced and new advocates, because members of Congress are often more accessible when they are home. If you are apprehensive about meeting with your members of Congress in Washington, D.C., these district work periods provide the perfect opportunity to begin building a valuable relationship with your legislators. Here are a few ways for you to reach out to your legislators while they are at home.

Are We There Yet?

David Borenstein, MD  |  

Advancing rheumatology through public relations

Promoting Arthritis Research to Congress and Others

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The ACR works to promote clinical and basic research in arthritis and musculoskeletal disease through a variety of channels, including advocacy, working directly with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and through the work of the ACR Research and Education Foundation.

RheumPAC: Advance Rheumatology on Capital Hill

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One way to succeed in our mission of advancing rheumatology is to increase the ACR’s presence on Capitol Hill through grassroots and direct lobbying. However, for the rheumatology subspecialty to be most effective we must use all tools available to us, including RheumPAC, the ACR’s nonpartisan political action committee. RheumPAC demonstrates to members of Congress that the rheumatology subspecialty is committed to political action, educating policy makers, and improving healthcare for our patients.

Advocate from Your Office the Week of March 14

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The ACR is urging the 112th Congress to address many issues important to rheumatology including appropriate reimbursement for specialty care, the repeated battle to avert Medicare payment cuts, funding for the pediatric subspecialty loan repayment program, continued fair reimbursement for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans, and the need for increased research funding.