Years ago, the Mayo Clinic was exploring effective ways to minimize burnout among the more than 3,000 doctors employed at its three medical and research facilities in Rochester, Minn., Scottsdale, Ariz., and Jacksonville, Fla. One strategy involved inviting physicians to participate in small groups to discuss topics that were fairly ubiquitous among doctors, from medical…
We can’t change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. The origin of this proverb is unclear. Some citations link it to ancient Hindu philosophers, and others suggest the origin may be closer to home (i.e., Jimmy Dean or Dolly Parton). Nonetheless, the sentiment is apt: We are living in an…
(Reuters)—Anthem Inc., one of the largest sellers of Obamacare individual health insurance, will exit most of the Ohio market next year because of volatility and uncertainty about whether the government will continue to provide subsidies aimed at making the plans affordable, it said on Tuesday. Republicans are trying to cut off the subsidy payments in…
CHICAGO (Reuters)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said on Wednesday his office sued five major drug manufacturers, accusing them of misrepresenting the risks of prescription opioid painkillers and so helping fuel a sky-rocketing drug addiction epidemic. A growing number of state and local governments are suing drugmakers and distributors, seeking to hold them accountable for the…
If you speak to any advocate for rheumatology, each of us will tell you we’ve had an “a-ha” moment where we learned the importance of advocacy; my own came a dozen years ago. I was meeting with a legislative aide to a local Congressional representative who was a senior member of the committee overseeing Medicare….
As Congress grapples with repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, MACRA benchmarking already underway and other rapid changes to the American healthcare system, it has never been more important for rheumatologists to make their voices heard. This is why it’s critical ACR members join or renew their membership in the American Medical Association (AMA)…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Anthem Inc on Wednesday said its plans for selling 2018 Obamacare individual plans are still up in the air because of political and regulatory uncertainty, making it the latest health insurer to say questions about continued funding of government subsidies will affect consumers next year. Anthem, the biggest provider of individual health plans,…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, set to be unveiled on Tuesday, will include cuts to Medicaid and propose changes to other assistance programs for low-income citizens, The Washington Post reported on Sunday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Republican healthcare bill that passed the U.S. House…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The Trump administration and U.S. House of Representatives Republicans on Monday asked a federal court for more time to decide how to proceed on the cost-sharing subsidies paid to health insurers that play a vital role in the Obamacare healthcare law. In a joint filing submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the…
On May 11, ACR leaders representing the Board of Directors, Affiliate Society Council, Government Affairs Committee (GAC), Committee on Rheumatologic Care, RheumPAC Committee and Insurance Subcommittee went to Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of the ACR/ARHP membership and our patients. The group, which represents 27 states and the District of Columbia, conducted meetings in…