In case you missed it, on Nov. 20, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a department within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced that it will overhaul the payment system for Medicare Part B (i.e., infusion) drugs on Jan. 1, 2021. The plan is called the Most Favored Nation (MFN)…
From pain management to arthroplasty, African American patients with OA and RA experience worse outcomes than white patients. But the reasons for these health disparities are difficult to parse from socioeconomic and cultural factors.
Pandemic fatigue is affecting rheumatologists and their patients in different ways, says Nilanjana Bose, MD, MBA. But efforts are being made at her clinic to stay positive and ensure quality patient care.
Our hospitals have had their finest hour in the care of acutely ill inpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic, including dealing with allocation decisions fairly and transparently, maximizing good outcomes and remaining cognizant of the enduring ethics of healthcare. The honorable traditions of self-effacing conduct and acceptance of some level of personal risk by healthcare professionals…
As of Oct. 1, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) requires that patients fail to respond to both FDA-approved rituximab biosimilars prior to receiving approval for rituximab. Exception: Rituximab-pvvr (Ruxience) is not FDA approved for rheumatoid arthritis.
The ACR submitted comments to the Institute for Clinical & Economic Review outlining key considerations that should inform independent assessment of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of medical therapies for lupus nephritis.
An observational study found treatment with tofacitinib resulted in only a slightly higher rate of venous thromboembolism than tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Editor’s note Nov. 23, 2020: As of Nov. 12, 2020, UHC has delayed implementation of the policy discussed below. See “UnitedHealthcare Delays Copay Accumulator Policy.” UnitedHealthcare (UHC) announced that, as of Jan. 1, 2021, providers will be required to report the amount their patients receive in copay assistance for office-administered treatments. UHC will then use…
Experts weigh in on sustaining telerheumatology as a viable practice tool by sharing its history, potential and regulatory outlook post-pandemic at ACR Convergence 2020.
What to vaccinate for and when to do so are challenges for rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals under normal circumstances. During the COVID-19 pandemic, even more questions are being raised, specifically regarding a possible vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. The ACR’s COVID-19 Practice and Advocacy Task Force is working on a guidance document to help ACR members address these pressing questions.