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

Legislation & Advocacy

2011 Legislative Outlook Important for Rheumatology

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Next year is shaping up to be an important year for rheumatology on Capitol Hill. Issues that remain unresolved by the last Congress include concerns within the Affordable Care Act, the need for a stable Medicare system with fair physician reimbursement, funding for the pediatric subspecialty loan repayment program, and appropriate reimbursement for specialty care. Most congressional leaders, newly elected or re-elected, know very little about arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. That is why it is critical that rheumatology professionals reach out and educate them on the importance of specialty care and the impact these diseases have on one’s quality of life. 

DEXA Champion Visits Local Rheumatologist

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Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) visited the Arthritis Center of the Ozarks in Fayetteville, Ark., in August to speak with local rheumatologist Michael Saitta, MD, to discuss the importance of access to osteoporosis screenings.

Increase Rheumatology’s Voice in the AMA

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Each June, the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) House of Delegates Annual Meeting is held in Chicago, gathering representatives from various medical state and specialty societies to discuss and develop official policies of the AMA.

Managing Patient Records

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Physician practices handle patient records that contain sensitive information—including financial, demographic, and medical data—on a day-to-day basis. This type of information can put a practice, as well as the patient, at risk if not handled properly. Rheumatology practices should make sure that they have policies and procedures in place for keeping and distributing patient records. In fact, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has set a national standard for the privacy of health information.

Are You a Meaningful User?

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As a follow-up to last month’s article (August 2010) about the final rule for the electronic health record (EHR) stimulus program—which offers up to $64,000 to eligible providers who are meaningful users of an EHR system—this month we will explore the minimum requirements for successful meaningful use, which take effect in 2011 and will build gradually each year of the program.

Congress Approves Six-Month “Doc Fix”—Now What?

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Congress’ May 24 vote to rescind the 21% Medicare pay cut for six months illustrates how important it is for rheumatology professionals and patients to be involved in the legislative process. It was the thousands of calls, e-mails, and letters from medical professionals and patients that spurred Congress to take action. However, the battle is not yet over. Medicare physician payments face the same 21% cut beginning December 1.

What is ICD-9 Coding?

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The International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification, 9th Revision (ICD-9 CM) is a list of codes intended for the classification of diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or disease. The numerical format of the diagnosis codes usually ranges from three to five digits that are assigned to a unique category.