A little more than three years ago, rheumatologist Michael Brooks, MD, FACP, FACR, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, turned years of discussion into something tangible: He and his colleagues got the paperwork and financial requirements in order and officially started the Rheumatology Association of Iowa. “We had been trying to get something going statewide in terms of…
U.S. Accuses UnitedHealth of Medicare Advantage Fraud
(Reuters)—The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has accused UnitedHealth Group Inc. of obtaining inflated payments from the government based on inaccurate information about the health status of patients enrolled in its largest Medicare Advantage Plan.1 The complaint, filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, came after the DOJ earlier this year intervened in two…
California Asks Insurers to Double Up on Rate Filings
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Health insurers seeking regulatory approval for 2018 individual insurance plans can file two sets of premium rates as a way to deal with market uncertainty created by Republicans’ promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, a California state insurance regulator said on Friday. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones told insurers in a letter made…
RA Prevention: A Trial of Methotrexate Vs. Placebo in Patients with Undifferentiated Arthritis
Disease outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have improved dramatically since the introduction of biologic agents and improved treatment strategies. Nevertheless, the majority of patients still require prolonged, if not lifelong, therapy. Therefore, the ultimate goal would be to prevent RA. This study analyzed the effect of a one-year course of methotrexate in high-risk UA patients (studied in a previous trial) after post-randomization exclusion of patients without a high risk of developing RA…
Maximizing the ACR’s Power: A conversation with Rheumatology Research Foundation President Eric Matteson, MD, MPH
In preparing for the second year of his term leading the Rheumatology Research Foundation, Eric Matteson, MD, MPH, has developed an ambitious set of goals for the year ahead, and he says the strong professional and personal inspiration he gets from serving in various volunteer roles within the College is what helps drive him to…
Studies Highlight Risk of Damage from Lupus Treatments
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Conference goers who braved the final day of the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting were awarded for their stamina by learning about issues relating to the damage caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during the session Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—Clinical Aspects and Treatment V: Damage and Morbidity. Minimizing Damage: Early Use of GC-Sparing Strategies Jayne Little,…
Biomarkers, Genetic Clues to Higher Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Patients with Lupus
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Experts at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting session, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—Clinical Aspects and Treatment IV: Biomarkers, reported on a number of recent studies showing advancement in our understanding of the disease mechanisms underlying systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that place these patients at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other comorbidities. Mechanisms of CVD Risk…
Effectiveness of Novel Therapies for Cutaneous SLE Explored
WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new, humanized anti-BDCA2 monoclonal antibody can trigger inhibition of the production of interferon, cytokines and chemokines derived from plasmacytoid dendritic cells in patients with cutaneous systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to research presented at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. The findings were discussed during a session on SLE treatment, drug adherence and the…
Drug Reduction Strategies, Disease Control for Patients with RA in Remission
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Clinical aspects of managing patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in remission were discussed by a panel of experts at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting during the session titled Rheumatoid Arthritis—Clinical Aspects IV: Managing Patients in Remission. Among the issues raised were strategies to taper or discontinue biologic therapies, as well as clinical predictors of…
Human Immune System Likened to Model of Military Efficiency
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Speaking at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in a session titled ARHP: Immunology Boot Camp I: Basis of Targeted Therapy, a rheumatologist and immunology expert gave a guided tour of the immune system, described what can go wrong with it and outlined what physicians can do when it does. Troy Torgerson, MD, PhD, associate…
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