ACR/ARHP Members Call on Congress to Restore Patients’ Voices

The rheumatology professionals also advocated for new legislation that would encourage more young doctors to enter the rheumatology profession; streamline the insurance prior authorization process; help control prescription drug costs by preventing pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from “gagging” pharmacists who want to tell patients when it’s cheaper to pay cash than to use their insurance; and establish a dedicated research program at the Department of Defense (DoD) for arthritis and rheumatic diseases. U.S. service members and veterans disproportionately suffer from arthritis, so it is critical that a portion of the existing, general funding for DoD-sponsored research be dedicated to studying rheumatic diseases.

Advocates Kristine Kuhn, MD, and Marcus Snow, MD, meet with Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02; center).

David Daikh, MD, PhD, president of the ACR, told advocates and lawmakers that the field of rheumatology is at a critical juncture. “The rheumatology workforce is not growing fast enough to keep up with demand, and too many of our patients struggle to access and afford the breakthrough therapies they need to manage their pain and avoid long-term disability,” he said. “America’s rheumatology professionals are urging our lawmakers to act now and support bipartisan, common-sense legislation that would increase access to high-quality rheumatology care for their constituents.”

As the day ended, the ACR celebrated a few small victories and one large one: Not only did our initiatives for step therapy, rheumatology-specific research and others gain critical momentum, but the Department of Health and Human Services ordered PBMs to cease “gagging” pharmacists about patients’ purchasing options—exactly as the ACR and our coalition partners had advocated.

Want to Get Involved?
This year is an election year, and members of Congress welcomed the opportunity to learn more from their constituents about caring for patients with rheumatic diseases and how that care can be improved. As the rheumatology community’s policy priorities continue to gain momentum on Capitol Hill, it is important to keep engaging and educating lawmakers.

Even though the ACR fly-in has already taken place, it’s easy to participate virtually by visiting the ACR’s Legislative Action Center to advocate for these issues and send a pre-written, editable letter to your representatives informing them how they can support rheumatology professionals and patients living with rheumatic diseases.