At my first Advocacy Leadership Conference as a member of the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee, I discovered the power of stories from the clinic and how lawmakers value clinicians’ input on healthcare legislation.
The ISC has worked with CVS Caremark to revisit changes to its prior authorization forms that would have increased the administrative burden on practices, and patients with Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina may not have to worry about switching to a self-administered biologic.
Spurred by a recent Cigna policy, the ACR will lead a resolution to oppose insurance companies providing financial incentives for patients to switch treatments. Several specialties are cosponsoring the resolution for a special meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in June.
Volunteer leaders who are community rheumatologists share their thoughts about the professional and personal benefits of serving on ACR committees and encourage others to get involved.
The ACR has sent a letter to Cigna expressing opposition to the initiative, which jeopardizes patients’ health, interferes with medical decision making, undermines the doctor-patient relationship and may disproportionately affect patients of lower socioeconomic status.
In a letter sent to commercial payers, the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee is advocating for continued coverage for telemedicine, including reimbursement parity, after the end of the declared public health emergency.
The mother of a 15-year-old patient with juvenile idiopathic arthritis/enthesitis-related arthritis (JIA/ERA) called the office in tears. She said she was having an insurance problem. Her son had been a star track athlete when he developed severe back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of severe sacroiliitis. He was started on a tumor necrosis factor…
The conversation with Stephen Hahn, MD, addressed challenges associated with hydroxychloroquine access during the COVID-19 public health emergency and handling patient concerns about potential cardiac side effects.
The ACR is urging insurance companies to expand access to telehealth services and provide relief from administrative burdens to help providers focus on patient care at this critical time.