While we appreciate the agency’s efforts to make prescription medications more affordable, we have serious concerns about a new CMS guidance to allow Medicare Part D plan sponsors to implement indication-based formulary designs that allow plans to select drugs for their formularies based only on the disease indications they want to use.
A broad coalition of 126 patient and provider groups – led by leading national organizations including the American College of Rheumatology – today sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) urging the agency not to move forward with a proposal that would significantly reduce Medicare reimbursements for evaluation and management (E/M) services provided by specialists, citing concerns that these time-intensive services – which include examinations, disease diagnosis and risk assessments, and care coordination – are already grossly under-compensated and that additional payment cuts would worsen workforce shortages in already strained specialties like rheumatology.
This September, Sports Broadcaster Terry Bradshaw is teaming up once again with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to share important information about rheumatic diseases in a new public service announcement (PSA) airing nationwide this fall.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Association for Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) welcome members of the press to write about research presented at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting by attending sessions on-site or covering them remotely.
Yesterday, the American College of Rheumatology met with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar for a productive discussion about the rheumatology community’s concerns with a new policy that will allow Medicare Advantage plans to utilize step therapy in Medicare Part B.
The American College of Rheumatology’s Collaborative Initiatives department has received two grants from the Office of Minority Health (OMH) to support the development of programs that aim to increase the recruitment and enrollment in clinical trials of minority populations affected by lupus.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today expressed its extreme disappointment with a new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) decision to allow Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to implement step therapy for Part B drugs and cross-manage Part B and D drug utilization.
The American College of Rheumatology expressed concerns that the proposed cuts to cognitive E/M services, along with the methodology changes to PE, will further restrict patient access to rheumatologists and other cognitive specialists at a time when the workforce is already shrinking.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is collaborating with the Emirates Society for Rheumatology (ESR) to co-host their 4th Annual Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 19-21, 2018.
The American College of Rheumatology has released a position statement on pharmacovigilance emphasizing the need for the continued monitoring of new drugs once they are introduced to the market.
In response to the Trump Administration’s American Patients First drug pricing blueprint, the American College of Rheumatology – which represents more than 7,700 rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals in the U.S. – today issued a set of policy principles that rheumatology leaders urge federal officials to adopt as they consider drug policy changes affecting the health care of chronically ill Americans.
Rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals convened on Capitol Hill this week to urge legislative action on pressing policy issues affecting rheumatology care during the American College of Rheumatology’s Advocacy Leadership Conference, held May 16-17, 2018 in Washington, D.C.
In comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) expressed concern that the Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance (STLDI) proposed rule could weaken consumer protections that enable individuals living with rheumatic diseases to access quality, affordable care.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today expressed concern that the 2019 Benefit and Payment Parameters final rule allowing states to select their own Essential Health Benefits (EHB) benchmark plans on federal health exchanges could jeopardize care access for patients with complex rheumatologic conditions.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) will hold its annual State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium (SOTA) in Chicago, IL, on April 13-15, which features groundbreaking rheumatology research and roundtable discussions.
The American College of Rheumatology was awarded a grant from the American Society of Association Executives to develop a new program, Uniting Collaborators for Innovation (UCOIN), that focuses on creating member-led initiatives that diminish racial and ethnic disparities in patients with rheumatic diseases.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) welcomes members of the press to write about rheumatology research presented the State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium (SOTA) in Chicago, IL, on April 13-15.
The American College of Rheumatology praises Congressional leaders for passing today’s sweeping spending agreement, which includes a technical provision reversing a CMS policy that would have linked physicians’ quality payment adjustments to Medicare Part B drug costs starting in 2019.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has published a new white paper, “The Science Behind Biosimilars – Entering a New Era of Biologic Therapy." The paper encourages providers to incorporate these drugs into treatment plans of patients with rheumatic diseases where appropriate.
The ACR urged HHS to reform its prior authorization policies, to reverse a recent HHS decision to apply Part B drug spending to payment adjustments under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS); require pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to be more transparent; and continue supporting biosimilar innovation.
More than 100 of the nation’s leading patient and provider organizations – including the American College of Rheumatology – are urging Congressional leaders to immediately reverse a new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) policy that will create enormous financial uncertainty for specialty providers and jeopardize patient access to vital Part B drug therapies.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) welcomes members of the press to write about rheumatology research presented the Winter Rheumatology Symposium in Snowmass Village, CO on January 20-26, 2018.
In its response yesterday to the 2019 Benefit and Payment Parameters proposed rule, which governs the state and federal health exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider proposals that would reduce health exchange insurance coverage, affordability and patient choice.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) confirmed five new Executive Committee members and five new members-at-large to its Board of Directors during a business meeting held during the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Young athletes commonly develop bone marrow edema in their sacroiliac joints, and this damage is most frequent in the posterior lower ilium according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Using a biologic therapy to manage rheumatoid arthritis may not significantly increase an infant’s risk for developing opportunistic infections like pneumonia, meningitis, and tuberculosis, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Excess weight is linked to a higher degree of synovitis in people with rheumatoid arthritis and can affect their treatment response, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with better sleep quality and a decrease in depressive symptoms in lupus patients, among other patient-reported outcomes, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Women who took a drug holiday from using bisphosphonates for more than two years have a significantly higher risk of a hip fracture compared to others who continued their treatment, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Low levels of vitamin D were associated with higher rates of end-stage renal disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Adherence to lupus therapy may be lower among Medicaid beneficiaries who live in areas with higher proportions of African-American individuals, fewer hospitals and less access to health professionals, according to new research findings presented at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Obese patients with axial spondyloarthropathy have worse disease outcomes, including higher disease activity, worse physical function and lower quality of life, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Extracorporeal shock-wave therapy at low energy levels showed promise as a new treatment for digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis, or scleroderma, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients in remission may experience more successful tapering of their biologic drugs if they meet a certain set of factors, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
While MRI scans of the sacroiliac joints positive for inflammation are not always specific in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), their prevalence in healthy individuals demonstrates the importance of additional diagnostic measures for axSpA.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis whose body-mass index scores are higher have lower rates of remission and higher rates of disability, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Opioids and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a widely used group of antidepressants, are both associated with higher risk of osteoporotic fractures for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research findings presented at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
People with RA who stop taking methotrexate treatment for just two weeks after they have a seasonal flu shot can improve the vaccine’s efficacy without increasing RA disease activity, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
A large percentage of patients with end-stage knee, hip and spine osteoarthritis use opioids to manage their chronic pain, especially those who are younger or have symptoms of depression, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Treatment with biologics does not increase the risk of a second malignancy in rheumatoid arthritis patients who have a history of cancer, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.
EULAR & ACR will present the draft of new classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during a session at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting this week in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center.
Authors of the new American College of Rheumatology (ACR) / National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) treatment guideline for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) will present their draft recommendations during a session at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting this week in San Diego.
ACR announced the 2017 recipients of its Master of the ACR designation, Awards of Distinction, and Distinguished Fellow Award honors during the opening lecture of the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Quality measures reported by rheumatology practices using the RISE registry significantly varied in the first quarter of 2017, with financial repercussions for practices through the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), according to research presented at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.
Researchers in China have developed a new online consultation tool for rheumatic disease patients, which may strengthen the interaction between doctors and patients and lead to more efficient management of chronic illness.
Obesity is independently associated with worse patient-reported outcomes in women with systemic lupus erythematosus, including disease activity, depressive symptoms, pain and fatigue, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
A newly developed tool to analyze the cellular and molecular profiles of synovial tissue and peripheral blood may help unlock clues about rheumatoid arthritis and lead to better therapies, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
MRI scans of healthy military recruits showed sacroiliac joint damage similar to that found in axial spondyloarthritis after six weeks of intensive physical training, reinforcing the importance of exercising caution when interpreting MRI results.
A 12-week, digital health coaching program with personalized support from a dedicated health coach improved well-being and decreased symptoms for participants with rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
A new method for acquiring viable cells from cryopreserved tissue samples could provide researchers with a model for collecting and analyzing samples from different study sites to conduct more centralized research.
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