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.
A better understanding of knowledge gaps and increased engagement of underrepresented communities are needed to diversify rheumatology patient data in clinical datasets, registries and randomized clinical trials.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reopened the Extreme & Uncontrollable Circumstances application and indicated they will automatically apply the policy to individuals who do not submit data for 2020 Merit-based Incentive Payment System.
Despite revolutionary advances in pharmacologic treatments for many rheumatic conditions in recent years, some patients still fail to reach a desired state of living with their disease, notes R. Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR, a clinician and researcher in rheumatology, as well as the founder and director of Attune Health, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based company that…
From understanding terminology, to collecting relevant data, to shaping a culture of awareness and inclusivity, clinicians can take many steps to improve the healthcare experience and outcomes for LGBTQ+ patients.
In September 2020, the ACR received a $7 million grant for a four-pronged SLE approach that seeks to address gaps and inequities in SLE through physician education, medical school outreach, pediatric support and disease management.
Navigating the healthcare system and its processes can seem overwhelming to patients. If patients understand why their clinician recommended something, know how and when to take medications, and why they shouldn’t skip a dose—or 10—they may not feel so out of control. Sharing examination notes with patients can be helpful to many patients who struggle…
Between April and December 2020, many eligible healthcare providers received or applied for payments from the $175 billion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). On Dec.27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Appropriations Act) was signed into law,…
Camelot allegedly existed once upon a time in South Wales. The name was evoked again in the 1960s, but perhaps it is also applicable to the character of rheumatology in the halcyon days of the 1970s and 80s. That’s not to belittle the world we now live in, with so many treatment options for our…
After 25 years, the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) office and outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) codes received a major overhaul. These changes, which went into effect Jan. 1, will help reduce administrative burden on providers and roll back some of the rigid requirements for E/M coding by simplifying the code selection…