This year’s interim meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD) took place Nov. 12–15, just days after the national election that, in 2017, will usher in a GOP-led Congress and presidential administration. “It was a highly interesting meeting,” says Gary Bryant, MD, FACP, associate professor of medicine and rheumatology at the University…
Kelly Tyrrell writes about health, science and health policy. Based in Madison, Wis., she has a BS in zoology from the University of Florida and an MS in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In 2011, she was a mass media dcience and engineering fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), reporting for the Chicago Tribune. Ms. Tyrrell has also worked as a health and science reporter for the News Journal (Gannett) in Wilmington, DE, a freelance reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and a science writer for UW-Madison.
Articles by Kelly Tyrrell
ACR Opposes DXA Reimbursement Cuts
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to significantly reduce reimbursement for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA),—used to measure bone density, diagnose osteoporosis and help prevent fractures—performed as a hospital outpatient service in the 2017 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS). If finalized, by 2023 it will cut payment for the DXA testing by 37%….
Bipartisan RheumPAC Serves Needs of Patients and Rheumatologists
For more than a decade, the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC) has given rheumatologists a voice in the halls of Congress. Since 2007, that voice has been amplified by RheumPAC, the bipartisan political action committee for ACR/ARHP members that helps advance the policy goals of the College, rheumatology professionals and their patients. “RheumPAC allows us…
Advocates on the Hill
On Sept. 12–13, nearly 100 rheumatologists, health professionals and patients participated in the Advocates for Arthritis event on Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of those living with and treating rheumatic diseases. Key Requests & Congressional Support Attendees visited 116 members of Congress and their staff members to: Advocate for changes to the Centers for…
How to Maintain HIPAA Compliance
In 2010, the federal government published a guide, titled Basic Security for the Small Healthcare Practice, complete with best practices and checklists to help small providers achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance.1 This year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR)—following a critical report of its HIPAA compliance audit and enforcement…
Rheumatology Advocates to Visit Capitol Hill
On Sept. 12–13, a group of more than 100 rheumatologists, rheumatology health professionals and patients will converge on Capitol Hill to take part in advocacy efforts and provide education on issues affecting the rheumatology community. During the 2016 Advocates for Arthritis event, the group will visit more than 100 Congressional offices, says ACR Government Affairs…
HIPAA Audit Activities Increase in 2016
In the coming months, rheumatologists may want to pay particular attention to their email inboxes. By the end of the year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will complete stage I, phase II of a series of desk and on-site audits designed to assess providers and their business…
ACR Publishes National Research Agenda for 2016–2020
Defining new therapeutic targets and developing new therapies are among the goals of the 2016–2020 ACR National Research Agenda. So, too, is understanding early disease states, defining triggers of autoimmunity and examining disparities in access to medication and treatment.1 Charting a Course Every five years, the Committee on Research (COR) is tasked with helping chart the…
Prepare Now to Survive MACRA
The year 2015 brought an end to the much-maligned Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), sometimes known as the “doc fix.” The SGR established limits on Medicare reimbursement for physicians, and each year, physicians and those lobbying on their behalf were forced to stave off drastic cuts to their payments. “The SGR was Congress’s attempt to control…
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