From the College

ACR Seeks Advisors for AMA/Specialty Society RUC and CPT Committee

From the College | September 7, 2016

The ACR is searching for practicing physicians interested in coding and reimbursement issues to represent the ACR on the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Committee. The RUC and CPT Committee comprise physicians representing the national medical specialty societies who advise the CPT Editorial Panel on matters concerning…

Rheumatology Research Foundation Investigators’ Meeting Shares Advancements Toward a Cure

From the College | September 7, 2016

The Rheumatology Research Foundation hosted the 9th annual Investigators’ Meeting in Atlanta on June 24–25. As a requirement for Foundation innovative research and pilot grant recipients, Foundation-funded investigators meet annually to provide updates and status reports on the work they are doing to advance treatments and cures for rheumatic diseases. More than 50 attendees enjoyed…

The ACR Participates in Workgroup to Aid Transition of Pediatric Patients to Adult Healthcare Settings

Patience H. White, MD, MA, MACR | August 10, 2016

Recognizing that gaps often occur in the transition process for young adults as they transition from pediatric to adult healthcare, in particular for youth with special healthcare needs, the American College of Physicians’ (ACP’s) Council of Subspecialty Societies (CSS), of which the ACR is a member, initiated a project and engaged several medical specialty organizations…

2016 ACR/ARHP Pre-Meeting Educational Workshops to Cover MACRA, Merit-Based Incentive and Alternative Payment Models

From the College | August 10, 2016

Looking for a reason to attend the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, which will be held Nov. 11–16 in Washington, D.C.? This monumental meeting will offer a variety of sessions on MACRA/MIPS/APMs, Medicare Value-Based Payment Reform programs, auditing, compliance and coding. Particularly, the pre-meeting workshops will provide you with the unique opportunity to dive deep into…

Rheumatology Coding Answer: Level 3 Established Patient Evaluation and Management Office Visit

From the College | August 10, 2016

Take the challenge. CPT: 99213 Diagnosis Codes: M05.79, M17.12, Z79.1, Z79.899 Rationale to code this encounter as 99213: History—The history of present illness was extended. The review of systems was comprehensive, and two of the three past, family and social history were documented. This makes the history level comprehensive. Eight systems were examined. This makes…

The ACR’s Advocacy at State Legislature Level in 2016 Focuses on Biosimilars, Step Therapy

From the College | August 10, 2016

A majority of state legislatures have concluded their work for 2016. The ACR’s state advocacy efforts continued to focus on policy benefiting rheumatologists and patients alike. The two dominant issues this year were biosimilar substitution and step therapy. Biosimilar Substitution Biosimilar substitution remains the most prevalent issue throughout the states. The ACR continues to monitor…

Rheumatology Coding Question: Level 3 Established Patient Evaluation and Management Office Visit

From the College | August 10, 2016

Level 3 Established Patient E&M Visit A 43-year-old patient is seen in the office for a follow-up visit of her RF-positive rheumatoid arthritis and primary osteoarthritis of the left knee. The patient is on sulindac, methotrexate and folic acid. At her last visit, the patient’s methotrexate dose was increased, which has greatly reduced her pain….

Rheumatology Research Foundation Helps Train Tomorrow’s Top Doctors

From the College | August 10, 2016

A passion to improve the clinical reasoning skills of future doctors led Maria Dall’Era, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Lupus Clinic, to create a revolutionary application for smartphones and tablets that could modernize medical education. With funding from the Rheumatology Research Foundation’s Clinician Scholar Educator…

ACR Advocacy at the State Level in 2016

From the College | July 18, 2016