On May 6, more than 100 members of the rheumatology community participated in 118 meetings with lawmakers from 26 states—urging members of Congress to sustain research funding, address cuts and stabilize Medicare reimbursement, enact pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms and protect Medicaid funding. See photos and stories from the event.
The bill also enhances the state’s service cancelable loan program to help address critical shortages in the healthcare workforce. Much of the language draws from model policy previously developed by the ACR.
The May 6 event brought together patients, physicians and advocates to challenge misconceptions and advocate for sustained investment in rheumatology research.
This week, the Coalition sent Congressional leadership a letter detailing the results of a recent survey about how underwater biosimilars are impacting physicians’ ability to provide high-quality care. Almost all of the nearly 200 practices queried reported being underwater on several biosimilars, with rituximab and infliximab biosimilars being the most common.
In visits to Congress members and staff, more than 120 ACR/ARP members and patients urged action to improve patient access to quality treatment. The meetings included discussions about the importance of research funding, ensuring adequate Medicare reimbursement, protecting Medicaid, and making PBMs more transparent and accountable. It’s not too late to amplify their message.
On April 30, Rebecca Shepherd, MD, MBA, and Amanda Myers, MD, represented rheumatology in a live town hall on the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, describing the benefits of apremilast and nintedanib for patients with rheumatic disease.
When ACR volunteer leaders, members and patient advocates head to Capitol Hill in May, they will urge members of Congress to protect Medicare and Medicaid against cuts, restore research funding and reform pharmacy benefit managers for better transparency and accountability.
The annual matching campaign will run through May, coinciding with the ACR’s Advocates for Arthritis event. If you have not made your 2025 donation yet, now is the best time to invest for the largest impact.
In front of the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee, Dr. Edgerton described how challenges of biosimilar costs threaten patient care and outlined several potential legislative solutions.
The ACR’s delegation to the American Medical Association House of Delegates is seeking ACR members who may be interested in serving as representatives to the Young Physician Section.