Focus Rheums| Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? (video)

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

The Rheumatologist: March 2010

Technology and Pay-for-Performance

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Medicare and private payers are increasingly developing programs to reward physicians based on clinical benchmarks. As more payers embrace this approach, practices are looking to technology to help them manage complex reporting requirements.

Update on Meaningful Use

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On December 30, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the long-awaited proposed rule establishing the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, which lays out a set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology. This program has been developed in response to the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” (ARRA), which authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide a reimbursement incentive for physician and hospital providers who become “meaningful users” of an EHR.

Coding and Billing for Facet Joint Injections

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Billing and coding is not as easy as one might think. The rules are constantly changing—and the codes for facet joint injections, which have changed frequently over the years, are a prime example. To make sure your practice is in compliance, billers, coders, and physicians should remain informed of the correct coding guidelines for facet joint injections. No one in a physician’s practice should ever assume that, because they coded a procedure a certain way in years past, it is still the status quo. Every rheumatologist and his or her staff should understand the what, why, and where of facet joint injections.

The ACR Supports the Rheumatology Workforce

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The ACR Committee on Training and Workforce Issues remains committed to supporting rheumatology training programs to ensure a well-prepared future workforce. Given the significant role rheumatology training directors play in the recruitment and education of rheumatology fellows, the ACR considers it essential to support their efforts.

Call Your Lawmakers the Week of March 15

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The elimination of consultation code services, the repeated battle to avert Medicare cuts, the need for increased research funding, the creation of a loan repayment program for pediatric rheumatologists, and fair costs for drug therapies are all issues that members of Congress have influence over. All of these issues affect the rheumatology profession, whether you are a clinical practitioner, researcher, academic, or health professional.

Navigate Maintenance of Certification with the ACR

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All rheumatologists certified in 1990 or later are expected to recertify every 10 years and, to do so, are required to enroll in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program. Requirements for successful completion of the MOC program include a valid and unrestricted license to practice medicine, 100 points of self-evaluation in medical knowledge, and practice performance, as well as a passing the secure exam in your discipline.

Enhance Your Education with the State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium

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The 2010 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium offers attendees a chance to review the latest clinical and scientific information on topics such as the treatment and research of gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, pediatrics, ultrasound, and cardiovascular comorbidities. The symposium—which provides a platform for attendees to have personal interactions with key opinion leaders in the field of rheumatology—will be held April 24–25 in Chicago, and will cover a range of diverse topics.

Progress Continues in Systemic Sclerosis

Daniel E. Furst, MD, Maureen D.Mayes, MD, MPH, Dinesh Khanna, MD,James R. Seibold, MD, Rajeev Saggar,MD, and Keith M. Sullivan, MD  |  

Advances in genetics and potential therapies shed new light on the disease

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