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

From the College

ACR Participates in Briefing to Highlight Importance of Biomedical Research

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On September 13, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Coalition held a congressional briefing to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the organization’s honoring of congressional champions who have been instrumental in supporting NIAMS and the NIH. The Coalition is a group of more than 70 medical, patient-advocacy, and science-based organizations (including the ACR) dedicated to advancing the critical research of the NIAMS and the NIH. The Coalition’s mission is to elevate understanding of the value of the NIAMS among policy makers and the public to foster increased support of the Institute.

Welcome New ACR and ARHP Leaders

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The ACR is pleased to welcome the newest members of the ACR board of directors and ARHP executive committee. These new members were confirmed in November during the 2011 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting. Over the next two issues of “From the College,” you will be introduced to these new members and learn what they want to gain from their experience as new board and executive committee members.

FDA Seeks Comments on Drug Shortages

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As reported last month (“Rheumatologists Struggle with Drug Shortages,” October 2011, p. 51), a bill (S. 296) proposed in the U.S. Senate would require drug manufacturers to notify the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of factors that might lead to a drug shortage.

Dispelling the Mystery, Ensuring the Future

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Bringing calm and organization to chaos: This is what led Greg Dennis, MD, to pursue a career in rheumatology. Dr. Dennis who, at the time, was an internal medicine resident at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colo., was seeking a subspecialty that would allow him to pursue immunology in a clinical or laboratory setting. What he realized during his residency was that rheumatology was a mystery to many physicians.

Rheumatology Professionals and Patient Advocates Take Their Stories to Capitol Hill

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The ACR’s annual Advocates for Arthritis conference, September 19–20, brought more than 120 rheumatologists, rheumatology health professionals, and patient advocates to our nation’s capital. Attendees, representing 37 states, met with more than 175 congressional offices, sharing their stories of access to care, treatment, and the importance of research.

Winter Rheumatology Symposium Offers Collegial Expertise and Peer Interaction

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Join the ACR as rheumatologists from across the country gather in Snowmass, Colo., for six days of exceptional educational content and opportunities to interact with peers and expert faculty at the ACR’s Winter Rheumatology Symposium. Continuing a tradition more than three decades long, the meeting will offer attendees upward of twenty sessions.

Skilled Nursing Facility Patients—Consolidated Billing

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When treating a patient that lives in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), it is important to understand the coding and billing guidelines of consolidated billing. That is because certain services must be consolidated and submitted by the SNF using its Medicare provider number, and not submitted by you, the physician, unless they are one of the excluded services, which will be further discussed below.

Practice Page: Protecting Your Practice through Compliance

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Compliance programs are an effort by the government to maintain integrity in the healthcare system. These programs target activities causing improper payment to determine their root cause: Was it a mistake or error, was it inefficiency or waste of resources, is the provider bending the rules or abusing the system, or was it intentional deception or fraud? There are also laws dictating the compliance culture within practices and institutions; for example, red-flag rules, antikickback statute, and stark law, to name a few.