After its December meeting, the ACR Government Affairs Committee has determined the federal and state issues the College will focus its advocacy efforts on in 2016. These issues include ensuring implementation of the Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 protects rheumatologists, creating an arthritis research program at the Department of Defense and more…
Advocating with You—Grassroots Advocacy: Media Outreach 101
Rheumatologists must speak for themselves and their patients, because no one else will speak for us. Advocacy is necessary to educate elected officials and preserve our ability to provide the best care to our patients. One way to reach these officials is through the local media. Here are some tips on how to reach out to reporters, write op-eds and letters, and become a knowledgeable resource for your community…
U.S. Doctor Group Calls for Ban on Drug Advertising to Consumers
(Reuters)—The American Medical Association on Tuesday called for a ban on advertising prescription drugs and medical devices directly to consumers, saying the ads drive patients to demand expensive treatments over less costly ones that are also effective. The influential doctors’ group said the new policy reflects physicians’ concerns that marketing spending on a proliferation of…
Dr. St.Clair Reflects on Progress in Rheumatology
As a practicing rheumatologist, I have experienced the increasing payer and government involvement shaping our evolving healthcare system. New payment models, changes in health insurance coverage, the federal mandate for the adoption of electronic health records and the implementation of ICD-10 are recent changes that have rocked our world. Our patients are also paying the…
Ethics Forum: Personal Ethics Questions Surrounding RheumPAC Donations
Imagine you’ve just heard a compelling presentation urging all ACR members to contribute to RheumPAC, the ACR’s political action committee. RheumPAC’s mission is to support politicians who support issues important to rheumatologists. You are impressed by the role RheumPAC has played in a number of issues you support. Just as you’re writing a check, you…
Why Rheumatologists Should Join the AMA
Editor’s note: Welcome to the first installment of Experiences in Advocacy, a special series authored by ACR members detailing personal experiences in advocacy. We need rheumatologists to join the American Medical Association (AMA). Here’s why, and how to do it. Having participated in your delegation for over a decade, I have seen major improvements in…
Rheumatologists, Patient Advocacy Efforts Make a Difference
We’re in this together for rheumatology and our patients. Those who know me appreciate my devotion to Duke Basketball and my pride in their recent NCAA championship. Coach K (Krzyzewski), a firmly established leader in the world of college basketball, makes the analogy that a basketball team is like five fingers on a hand, and…
Congress’ District Workweeks in August Prime Time for Rheumatology Advocacy
Each year in August, lawmakers return home for the summer recess and convene district workweeks. That means you have the opportunity to meet with members in their local offices, attend fund-raisers nearby or participate in a town hall. This is where our strength as a membership organization can benefit us most. We have real physicians…
How to Launch Successful Rheumatology Patient Advocacy Programs
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a two-part series showing how a busy office-based practice can incorporate patient advocacy into its standard workflow. In Part 1, we looked at the reasons for incorporating patient advocacy into your practice and offered an outline for implementing it. Part 2 amplifies the concepts explored in Part…
The ACR Partners with Coalition, Patient Advocacy Groups to Advocate for Rheumatology
In terms of getting our message heard in Washington, D.C., rheumatology faces a David vs. Goliath battle on several levels. Many industries have far greater resources, use multiple lobbying firms, and have advertising and lobbying budgets that eclipse ours by several hundred-fold. Rheumatology is far smaller than most other medical specialties; our membership is a…
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