Volunteer leaders who are community rheumatologists share their thoughts about the professional and personal benefits of serving on ACR committees and encourage others to get involved.
Cigna Offers Patients Financial Incentive to Switch Treatments
The ACR has sent a letter to Cigna expressing opposition to the initiative, which jeopardizes patients’ health, interferes with medical decision making, undermines the doctor-patient relationship and may disproportionately affect patients of lower socioeconomic status.
ACR Urges Commercial Payers to Cover Telemedicine Beyond the Public Health Emergency
In a letter sent to commercial payers, the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee is advocating for continued coverage for telemedicine, including reimbursement parity, after the end of the declared public health emergency.
Ethics Forum: The Ethical Considerations of Prior Authorization
The mother of a 15-year-old patient with juvenile idiopathic arthritis/enthesitis-related arthritis (JIA/ERA) called the office in tears. She said she was having an insurance problem. Her son had been a star track athlete when he developed severe back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of severe sacroiliitis. He was started on a tumor necrosis factor…
ACR Leaders Discuss Hydroxychloroquine Issues with FDA Commissioner
The conversation with Stephen Hahn, MD, addressed challenges associated with hydroxychloroquine access during the COVID-19 public health emergency and handling patient concerns about potential cardiac side effects.
ACR Urges Commercial Payers to Provide Relief from Prior Authorizations, Practice Disruptions
The ACR is urging insurance companies to expand access to telehealth services and provide relief from administrative burdens to help providers focus on patient care at this critical time.
ACR Advocates Against Payer Mandates on Specialty Pharmacy Acquisition of In-Office Treatments
In partnership with rheumatology and other specialty organizations, the ACR is working against payer and employer policies that mandate specialty pharmacy acquisition of in-office treatments.
Coverage & Reimbursement Challenges: Updates from the ACR Insurance Subcommittee Chair
The ACR Insurance Subcommittee is working to address specialty pharmacy requirements for in-office treatments, elimination of consultation codes and other coverage and reimbursement challenges.
Are Your Patients at Risk? Advocacy Matters
When insurance company practices put patients at risk, advocacy is an important tool physicians can use to make a real difference. You can make a difference.
Off-Label Coverage of Mycophenolate for Scleroderma under Medicare Part D
Based on a request by the ACR Insurance Subcommittee, off-label use of mycophenolate for scleroderma has been added to a Medicare-approved compendium.