Occupational therapist Cheryl Crow, who lives with rheumatoid arthritis, shares the ins and outs of what OT is and how it can help those with rheumatic conditions.
Unless Congress Acts, Medicare Reimbursement Will Remain Flat or Drop in 2025
The 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, released Nov. 1, includes a conversion factor of $32.3465, a 2.83% drop from 2024. In response to advocacy efforts from the ACR and other medical societies, Congress recently introduced the Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2024, which would eliminate the 2.83% payment cut and provide an inflationary update for 2025 equal to 50% of the Medicare Economic Index.
Updates from the ACR Insurance Subcommittee
The ACR Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) of the Committee on Rheumatologic Care has been hard at work, advocating to payers on behalf of the ACR and its members. Following is an update on some of the work this group has been doing to help address concerns about reimbursement and administrative burden, while ensuring continued access to…
2024 Election Summary, Outlook for the Lame Duck Session & the New Congress
With a likely Republican majority in the House and Senate and a Republican president, there may be a sense that the party has a mandate to lead initiatives and enact significant policy changes. Any end-of-year legislative package will be narrower than initially expected, but the ACR’s top priority remains addressing cuts to physician reimbursements.
Young Adults with Psoriatic Disease at Risk of Early Cardiovascular Disease
Background/Purpose Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are closely linked inflammatory conditions that can affect both children and adults. In children, these diseases are associated with traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis. In older adults, systemic inflammation from psoriasis and PsA accelerates atherosclerosis, and these conditions are independent risk factors for severe cardiovascular disease…
Rheum for Everyone, Episode 14: Put Your Best Foot Forward (video)
In this episode, Dr. Bharat Kumar offers some advice to aspiring rheumatologists on how to present themselves in the best light possible in their application essays. He also offers a sneak peek at the rest of the compelling content in the November issue of The Rheumatologist.
Autoantibodies Illuminate Lupus Nephritis
Fava et al. investigated longitudinal autoantibody profiles in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) to define serological biomarkers of histologic class. They found that baseline levels of anti-C1q and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies may serve as noninvasive biomarkers of proliferative LN and anti-C1q antibodies may predict complete response.
Exploring the Role of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
An understanding of the mechanisms underlying NET-mediated inflammation will empower clinicians to target therapies that can mitigate disease activity & improve outcomes in patients with lupus.
ATAP Board Appointments for 2024-25 Include 2 Distinguished ACR Members
The Alliance for Transparent and Affordable Prescriptions’ board members for the 2024–25 cycle include Marcus Snow, MD, and Howard Blumstein, MD, who both have a strong history of volunteer leadership in the ACR.
After Coalition Meeting, CMS Leadership Agrees to Closer Look at Underwater Biosimilars
The Underwater Biosimilars Coalition shared with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services concerns about problems arising from the average sales price payment methodology and discussed potential options for addressing these challenges.