The reintroduction of the Improving Seniors’ Access to Care Act gives an opportunity to reduce administrative burden and undue delay of patient care imposed by prior authorization in Medicare Advantage plans. Contact your members of Congress today to urge them to pass this vital bill.
Methylprednisolone & Methotrexate: Codes & Billing Updated
As of April 1, HCPCS codes for methylprednisolone have changed. The ACR is working with the CMS to determine how rheumatologists should bill Medicare corrrectly.
CMS Updates the Medicare Conversion Factor
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 increased the Medicare conversion factor by 1.68% effective March 9, bringing it to $33.2875 for March 9–Dec. 31, 2024.
The Biases We Don’t Know We Hold
Implicit bias can affect patient care at the physician level when they’re making treatment decisions and at the healthcare organization level when they’re choosing new hires. Here are insights into strategies rheumatologists can use to become aware of, and question, their implicit biases.
Focus on Community Practice Rheumatology
Community practice rheumatology brings with it certain challenges, but it also offers rewards, such as autonomy and the capacity to develop deep relationships with patients. Three rheumatologists discuss the challenges and rewards of private practice.
The Roles of the Interdisciplinary Rheumatology Team in Patient Care Highlighted
To work together effectively, clinicians and rheumatology professionals need to understand the roles of every member of the interdisciplinary team. To enhance this understanding, the ARP Interprofessional Practice & Management Committee has undertaken a project to describe the modern roles of members of the interdisciplinary team in a series of fact sheets. The first three…
Can Reconsidering Our Relationship to Time Help Keep Us Present?
“I circled 30 minutes … but it feels more like five hours getting ready for work Monday to Friday and only 15 minutes in a hot bath on weekends,” my patient relayed to me. Greg (name changed, obviously) is an ambitious young professional who has axial spondyloarthritis. He’s also a really funny guy with a…
2024 Remote Physiologic Monitoring and Therapeutic Monitoring Coding Guidance
This guidance from the ACR provides information about new remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) treatment management codes
UnitedHealthcare Working to Correct J Code Reimbursement Error
An error in UnitedHealthcare’s claims processing system resulted in underpayments on J code claims dated Oct. 8–Nov. 8, 2023. Practices are encouraged to review all J code payments from the final quarter of 2023.
Remote Prescribing Exceptions Extended Through 2024
The Department of Health & Human Services and Drug Enforcement Administration have extended through Dec. 31, 2024, exceptions that allow providers to prescribe controlled medications via telemedicine appointments without conducting an in-person evaluation.