Changes to reimbursement introduced by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) will affect your Medicare income for 2019. “Rheumatologists generally know that MACRA is up and running,” says Angus Worthing, MD, FACR, FACP, clinical assistant professor of rheumatology at Georgetown University Medical Center and chair of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee. “Virtually every…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—A U.S. House of Representatives committee launched a probe into drugmaker Allergan Plc’s deal to transfer some of its patents to a Native American tribe to shield them from review. A bipartisan group of four representatives from the House Oversight and Government Committee, including Republican Chairman Trey Gowdy and top Democrat Elijah Cummings,…
NOGALES, Arizona (Reuters)—More than two thousand miles away from the healthcare debate in Washington, President Donald Trump’s threats to let Obamacare collapse are sowing confusion about its fate and dampening 2018 enrollment expectations. The uncertainty here in Arizona, echoed in interviews across the country, shows that even though they have not been able to repeal…
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster (HZ), is a common and sometimes debilitating disease that disproportionately affects elderly individuals and those who are immunocompromised. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a 1.5–2-fold higher risk of developing HZ compared with healthy adults. Treatment with some disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has been shown to increase this risk….
In recent years, the number of drugs to receive accelerated FDA approval has increased. A new study examined whether these drugs have demonstrated efficacy in post-approval trials…
Research has found that taking adalimumab plus methotrexate is effective for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis. However, these patients may also experience an increased incidence of adverse and serious adverse events compared with those taking only methotrexate…
(Reuters)—Washington state on Thursday sued OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP, becoming the latest state or local government to file a lawsuit seeking to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for a national opioid addiction epidemic. The city of Seattle also filed a separate lawsuit against Purdue as well as units of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Johnson and…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Makers of fast-acting opioids will have to fund voluntary training for healthcare professionals who prescribe the drugs, including education on safe prescribing practices and non-opioid alternatives, the course said on Thursday. The FDA sent letters to 74 manufacturers of immediate-release opioids, notifying them that they will have to fund the development of courses…
Pediatric rheumatology patients present unique challenges. According to Kyla Driest, MD, MEd, using age and temperament appropriate methods, such as distraction or icing, may help children manage pain and ease anxiety…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—U.S. states have negotiated to the bitter end to keep health insurers selling Obamacare plans in every county next year, in some cases taking a hard-line to prevent exits that leave residents without access to health coverage. But states cannot rule out a last-minute pullout by an insurance company. Insurers must sign government…