Just YouTube it. As a rheumatologist who sees many patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), I have spent a significant portion of my life talking to people about neti pots. Originally, the neti pot was part of the Ayurvedic tradition. Neti pots were used to flush the sinuses with water, milk and ghee, or to…
On Feb. 1, UnitedHealthcare enacted a new policy designating Avsola and Inflectra as the preferred infliximab products for UHC commercial plans. ACR leaders have urged UHC to allow existing patients to continue on their current medication.
After ACR and other provider and patient organizations expressed concerns about a proposed copay accumulator policy set to take effect Jan. 1, 2021, UnitedHealthcare has indefinitely delayed its implementation but is continuing to explore options to reduce spending on specialty drugs.
As practice administrator for the past nine years at Emerald Coast Rheumatology in Lynn Haven, Fla., Andre Smith has worked to expand what was a single-provider, three-employee practice into an 8,000-square foot rheumatology clinic and 18-chair infusion center with two additional providers. Although not all rheumatologists have a practice administrator on staff, those who do…
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.
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is rescinding changes to its Orencia policy previously scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2020. These changes would have required patients to fail to respond to the self-administered formulation of the drug prior to obtaining authorization for the physician-administered product. Some patients on Orencia received notices from UHC in late April stating…
On April 1, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) announced updates to its Orencia policy, effective July 1, 2020. The change requires patients to fail to respond to the self-administered formulation of this drug prior to obtaining authorization for the physician-administered product. The ACR has been in communication with UHC about this policy since October 2019, when the payer…
The ACR has created a chart of temporary changes to commercial payers’ telehealth policies that make it easier for physicians and patients to connect without the need for an office visit.
ATLANTA—From step therapy requirements to infusion center locations to evaluation and management coding, insurance issues bring frequent headaches to clinicians and patients. Experts discussed some of the most recent concerns in a session at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting. Chris Phillips, MD, chair of the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee (ISC), and Gary Bryant, MD, delegate to…