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.
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) may improve the survival rate of patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to Georges et al. The single-arm clinical trial demonstrated the effectiveness of AHSCT and maintenance therapy. Researchers also identified potential risk factor of AHSCT in patients with low eGFR before transplantation.
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.
