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…
As founder and president of a large rheumatology group, Howard M. Busch, DO, says the pandemic has had a limited financial effect on many of the network’s clinics. Communication and technology have been key to adapting to the needs of patients and connecting with other providers during this critical time.
Is it taboo to talk about politics during the office visit? My morning routine may sound familiar to many of you: I wake up and get ready for work. Before I step out of my car, I put on my mask. I go inside the office to greet the staff and to get my temperature…
On Dec. 10, the Supreme Court of the United States of America (SCOTUS) issued a landmark decision in Rutledge, Attorney General of Arkansas, v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. In an 8–0 decision, the justices agreed that states have the right to impose regulations on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), companies that manage prescription drug benefits on…
ACR staff highlight essential 2021 MIPS reporting period information, as well as key changes from the 2020 to 2021 performance period.
Implementation of rate increases for evaluation and management services and other changes bring big updates to many Current Procedural Terminology codes.
ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In her ARP keynote address on Friday, Nov. 6, Empowering Patients to Make an Impact on the Future of Healthcare, Jen Horonjeff, PhD, described a study in which researchers gathered data on pain and activity level among arthritis patients. In her view, the study provided a cautionary tale. Researchers expected the study subjects…
Some aspects of community practice are normalizing amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the financial fallout and the need for increased safety precautions remain challenging.
With his clinic resuming in-person visits, Jay Mehta, MD, says his patients and staff have proved remarkably adaptable, embracing telemedicine during the early days of the pandemic and now facemasks during appointments.
The number of medications with rheumatologic indications has increased in parallel with expanding complexities of medication approval and delivery. Simply starting a patient on a biologic medication or new disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) can be time consuming and frustrating for physicians, nurses and their support staff. In addition to educating the patient and obtaining prior…