Thousands of attendees travel to the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting from outside the U.S. to learn, network and exchange ideas. From Nov. 3–8 in San Diego, speakers from more than 30 different countries are scheduled to participate. The ACR is taking action to maintain diverse attendance in a challenging climate for international travel. New traveler vetting and…
The ACR Is Exploring a Rheumatology-Specific APM
In response to the required changes in reimbursement from fee for service to value-based payment under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015, the ACR is exploring development of a rheumatology-specific alternative payment model (APM) for rheumatologists and practices, which would provide an additional option for payment other than the Merit-Based Incentive…

Texas Rheumatologists Push for Passage of Step Therapy Reforms
On May 25, with Gov. Greg Abbott’s signing of Senate Bill 680, Texas became the fourth state this year to increase protection for patients subject to insurers’ step therapy protocols. The State of Texas Association of Rheumatologists (STAR) joined with 35 other professional societies and patient advocacy organizations in urging passage of S.B. 680. The…

Rheumatologist Dr. Sandra Pagnussat Recalls Journey from Patient to Physician
When she was in elementary school, Sandra Pagnussat, MD, began experiencing unrelenting pain and stiffness, first in her pinky and then in her other fingers. Her pediatrician diagnosed her with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). In high school, Sandra decided to pursue a career in medicine and began taking advanced placement classes in biology and chemistry….

Prospects for Treating Patients with Arthritis in African Countries with Few Rheumatologists
At present, the U.S. has approximately 5,000 full-time adult rheumatologists. By the year 2025, that number will decline to roughly 3,600.1 Sounds dire, right? Hold that thought. Question: What country has 99 million people and no adult rheumatologists? Answer: Ethiopia.2 The Nigerian Story And then there is Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, with roughly 170…

Tips to Help Physicians Understand, Cope, Manage Burnout
Years ago, the Mayo Clinic was exploring effective ways to minimize burnout among the more than 3,000 doctors employed at its three medical and research facilities in Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale, Ariz., and Jacksonville, Fla. One strategy involved inviting physicians to participate in small groups to discuss topics that were fairly ubiquitous among doctors, from medical…

Advantages, Disadvantages of Private Practice Ownership for Rheumatologists
When he worked for a multi-specialty practice, Jonathan M. Greer, MD, FACR, FACP, president, Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates of Palm Beach, and affiliate clinical professor of medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Boynton Beach, Fla., found that there were too many restrictions and controls and no way to enhance the revenue stream for rheumatologists. So he moved on…

The ACR, ARHP Keep Members, Patients’ Priorities on Congressional Legislative Slate
We can’t change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. The origin of this proverb is unclear. Some citations link it to ancient Hindu philosophers, and others suggest the origin may be closer to home (i.e., Jimmy Dean or Dolly Parton). Nonetheless, the sentiment is apt: We are living in an…
Anthem Plans to Leave Obamacare Insurance Market in Ohio in 2018
(Reuters)—Anthem Inc., one of the largest sellers of Obamacare individual health insurance, will exit most of the Ohio market next year because of volatility and uncertainty about whether the government will continue to provide subsidies aimed at making the plans affordable, it said on Tuesday. Republicans are trying to cut off the subsidy payments in…
Ohio Sues Five Drug Companies Over Opioid Crisis
CHICAGO (Reuters)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said on Wednesday his office sued five major drug manufacturers, accusing them of misrepresenting the risks of prescription opioid painkillers and so helping fuel a sky-rocketing drug addiction epidemic. A growing number of state and local governments are suing drugmakers and distributors, seeking to hold them accountable for the…
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