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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Rheumatologists Can Boost Job Satisfaction with Back-to-Basics Practice Management

Arthur E. Brawer, MD  |  

Over the past two decades, many physicians have ironically abrogated their intellectual abilities by resigning themselves to a fate of being worthless unless they work for someone else. Many factors have contributed to this process, including, but not limited to, declining reimbursements, escalating costs, onerous electronic record mandates, intense competition from hospital conglomerates and burdensome…

OIG Releases 2017 Work Plan: A Summary

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Each fall, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) puts out its Work Plan for the upcoming fiscal year to summarize its initiatives and priorities for new and ongoing work of HSS programs. Below is a summary of the key areas the OIG will focus on in 2017: Drug…

The ACR Asks Congress to Dedicate Arthritis Research Funding to Help Military Service Members

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In 2016, the ACR and the Arthritis Foundation teamed up to direct $20 million within the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) to arthritis treatment and prevention. The CDMRP has millions of research dollars that have not been committed to specific items. In the new appropriations cycle, we are once again…

The ACR Supports Practicing Rheumatologists

Sharad Lakhanpal, MBBS, MD  |  

A new presidential administration took office in January 2017. Although no one truly knows what directions our government and economy will take, one projection is that healthcare regulatory and insurance coverage policies will change, possibly dramatically. In a time of uncertainty, rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals can turn to the ACR/ARHP for support, guidance and…

Denosumab Does Not Increase Risk of Infection in RA Patients

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New research dispels the fear that denosumab will increase the risk of infection in vulnerable populations with rheumatoid arthritis when it is prescribed in combination with TNF inhibitors or other biologics. Investigators found the treatment did not increase infection risk beyond what is expected for the patients’ disease, comorbidities and medications…

U.S. Senate Confirms Rep. Price as Health Secretary

Susan Cornwell  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate voted on Friday to confirm Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) as the top U.S. healthcare official, putting a determined opponent of Obamacare in position to help President Donald Trump dismantle the healthcare law. The Senate voted 52-47 to approve the conservative congressman and orthopedic surgeon as secretary of the Department…

U.S. Senators Question Kaleo’s $4,500 tag on Opioid Overdose Treatment

Ankur Banerjee  |  

(Reuters)—U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) on Thursday asked Kaleo Pharmaceuticals to justify the more than 550% surge in the price of its device to treat opioid overdoses, becoming the second senator to question Evzio’s $4,500 price tag. Evzio contains the overdose-reversing drug naloxone and can be used in emergencies by people without medical training. Privately…

U.S. Court Blocks Anthem-Cigna Deal

Diane Bartz & Caroline Humer  |  

(Reuters)—A federal judge on Wednesday ruled against U.S. health insurer Anthem Inc.’s proposed $54 billion merger with smaller rival Cigna Corp, derailing an unprecedented effort to consolidate the country’s health insurance industry. The U.S. Department of Justice sued in July to stop Anthem’s purchase of Cigna, a deal that would have created the largest U.S….