The ACR is engaging with payers regarding formulary requirements that would leave practices underwater when treating patients with rheumatic diseases.
Ask Congress to Support Complexity Add-on Code
Implementation of the G2211 add-on code for evaluation and management services is included in the CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, barring further delays. Ask your lawmakers to support timely implementation and patient access to complex care.
U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Potentially Dampens Diversity
Rheumatologists consider ways to encourage racial and ethnic diversity among students and in the workforce in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling that ends affirmative action in higher education.
Fight for Change: 2 ARP Members on Why Advocacy Is Important to Them
Two ARP members who currently serve on the ACR Government Affairs Committee discuss why & how they got involved in advocacy.
Implications of Florida’s Electronic Health Records Data Storage Law
Healthcare is a high-priority target for cyber criminals. State-level measures, such as a new Florida law, fail to address the root problems of data security but may affect how providers manage patient data.
CMS Proposes Reimbursement Cuts for CY24
On July 13, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This annual rule outlines policies related to provider reimbursement, coverage of telehealth services, review of specific codes, refinement of evaluation and management codes and updates to the Quality Payment Program.
The Voice of Rheumatology: The Most Important Rheumatology Coalition You’ve Never Heard Of
The Voice of Rheumatology was established as an informal coalition to aid effective collaborations on issues important to the rheumatology community. The group has grown to become an integral mechanism for the exchange of information among groups including the ACR, Arthritis Foundation, Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations (CSRO), Alliance for Women in Rheumatology and more to strengthen partnerships on a range of federal, state and regulatory issues.
The ACR Opposes New AI-Based Decision-Making Platform
On July 1, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina introduced a machine-learning technology platform to make decisions about patients’ care and treatment. The ACR opposes its use on grounds that it may harm patients’ access to treatment and undermine the doctor-patient relationship.
CMS Releases CY24 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule & Quality Payment Program Updates
On July 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program (QPP) updates. Notably, the Fee Schedule decreases the conversion factor, which coupled with reimbursement stagnation for payment updates and congressionally mandated cuts, has created financial instability for physicians across all specialties. …
Copay Accumulator & Maximizer Programs Threaten Access to Treatment
As health insurance companies and third-party benefit managers continue to use copay accumulators and maximizers to shift the cost of specialty drugs to patients, the ACR continues to advocate against programs that limit copay assistance.