The ACR strongly urges Congress to enact the “Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2007” (S. 626/H.R.1283), introduced by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) and Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Chip Pickering (R-Miss.).
Disappearing Dollars
What’s happening to federal research funding in rheumatology?
Annual REF 5K Run/Walk to Take Place in Boston
The REF 5K Run/Walk is the ACR REF’s premier event to raise funds to ensure the future of rheumatology. Since 2001, more than 1,700 walkers and supporters have gathered at the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting and have raised more than $300,000 to help fund the REF’s awards and grants program. But it’s more than just an event; it celebrates the amazing progress we’re making together to fund rheumatology fellowship training and encourage highly trained people to enter the specialty.
Grassroots: Take Action
Wondering what can you do to effectively promote rheumatology issues in Washington? Here are some ways you can get involved…
ACR Attends AMA House of Delegates
On Saturday, June 23, 2007, the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates convened in Chicago; the meeting’s theme was advocacy. The ACR was represented by its delegate Melvin Britton, MD, and alternate delegate Gary Bryant, MD.
Public Service and the Rheumatologist
Civic duties may soon be too burdensome for even willing public servants
Top 11 Ways You Can Advocate
Many of the specialty’s challenges and goals hinge on your participation
Advocacy: An essential component of professional practice
In our challenging and cost-conscious healthcare environment, advocacy is an essential skill for all health professionals. As rheumatology health professionals, we advocate for our patients with insurers, institutional administrators, employers, and teachers. To bring about needed healthcare reforms, we must also learn to be effective political advocates.
ACR Board Lobbies Congress
ACR Board of Directors members recently spent time in Washington, D.C., discussing rheumatology-related issues with members of Congress, including Sen. Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy (D-Mass.). The senior senator from Massachusetts is the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which oversees health legislation that affects rheumatologists.
Contact Congress Today about Medicare Reimbursement
Changing the Medicare physician reimbursement formula so that it more accurately mirrors the cost of care is a top legislative concern for the ACR this year. The reimbursement scale is currently calculated using the sustainable growth rate (SGR), which is based on the gross domestic product and is irrelevant to medical care. The formula has steadily decreased physician reimbursement since its inception.