As a health educator at Integrative Rheumatology, a private practice in Charlotte, N.C., Latisha Williams, MPH, CHES, CHC, works with patients to teach them how to better manage their disease. In the two-and-a-half years that Ms. Williams has worked at Integrative Rheumatology, she’s answered countless questions about exercise, nutrition and complementary therapies, among other topics. “Patients…
Late-night gatherings; long hours of avid discussion weighing the merits of resolution quality, light, hues and tones; and camaraderie among members forged through a shared interest in maintaining the highest fidelity to their craft and profession—these are among the vivid memories of those who participated in the early years of building what is today known…
Our hospitals have had their finest hour in the care of acutely ill inpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic, including dealing with allocation decisions fairly and transparently, maximizing good outcomes and remaining cognizant of the enduring ethics of healthcare. The honorable traditions of self-effacing conduct and acceptance of some level of personal risk by healthcare professionals…
A panel of rheumatologists will provide updates on MACRA’s quality measure requirements and the ACR’s progress in quality measurement in rheumatology in a session at ACR Convergence 2020.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have provided the opportunity to apply for exceptions for the Performance Year (PY) 2020 Quality Payment Program Merit-Based Incentive Program (MIPS) program requirements. This will help clinicians finding PY2020 MIPS federal reporting difficult due to circumstances outside their control.
Editor’s note Nov. 23, 2020: As of Nov. 12, 2020, UHC has delayed implementation of the policy discussed below. See “UnitedHealthcare Delays Copay Accumulator Policy.” UnitedHealthcare (UHC) announced that, as of Jan. 1, 2021, providers will be required to report the amount their patients receive in copay assistance for office-administered treatments. UHC will then use…
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.
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…
In a December 2019 editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the implications of diagnostic error were explored through the story of two parents, both medical professionals, who sought a diagnosis for their sick child.1 Their son saw specialist after specialist and underwent repeated procedures, but for years was left without an explanation…
Many clinicians are receiving smaller reimbursements than expected for their 2021 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System adjustments. Available funding is extremely limited due to the high number of clinicians who were unable to report 2019 MIPS data and accepted the automatic neutral payment under the extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy.