There are approximately 9 million uninsured children in the United States, and the number is increasing. Of those 9 million, 6 million are eligible for – but not enrolled in – the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) or Medicaid.
Stop the Steep Imaging Cuts of 2005
DXA reimbursement will be cut 75% by 2010 if Congress does not act now. Reimbursement for imaging studies such as DXA has been reduced to the Hospital Outpatient Perspective Payment System (HOPPS) rate, based on a Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) provision. This reduction not only negatively affects rheumatologists who perform imaging studies in their offices, but will also affect access to care and increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries.
Public Service and the Rheumatologist
Civic duties may soon be too burdensome for even willing public servants
Top 11 Ways You Can Advocate
Many of the specialty’s challenges and goals hinge on your participation
Support for a Future without RA
Shirley Enis of Jacksboro, Texas, has decided to get involved with “Within Our Reach” because the campaign has the capacity to improve RA patients’ quality of life, alleviate long-term effects of RA, and ultimately ensure that future generations can enjoy life without RA.
First Round of “Within Our Reach” Grants
The ACR Research and Education Foundation (REF) “Within Our Reach” campaign awarded approximately $6 million to 15 recipients this month.
Advocacy: An essential component of professional practice
In our challenging and cost-conscious healthcare environment, advocacy is an essential skill for all health professionals. As rheumatology health professionals, we advocate for our patients with insurers, institutional administrators, employers, and teachers. To bring about needed healthcare reforms, we must also learn to be effective political advocates.
ACR Unites with AMA to Correct SGR
Fair Medicare reimbursement is of great concern of physicians today. During the past few years, the SGR has called for damaging cuts to physician payments. Each year, however, Congress has placed a temporary fix on the scheduled cuts.
ACR Board Lobbies Congress
ACR Board of Directors members recently spent time in Washington, D.C., discussing rheumatology-related issues with members of Congress, including Sen. Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy (D-Mass.). The senior senator from Massachusetts is the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which oversees health legislation that affects rheumatologists.
Contact Congress Today about Medicare Reimbursement
Changing the Medicare physician reimbursement formula so that it more accurately mirrors the cost of care is a top legislative concern for the ACR this year. The reimbursement scale is currently calculated using the sustainable growth rate (SGR), which is based on the gross domestic product and is irrelevant to medical care. The formula has steadily decreased physician reimbursement since its inception.