Speakers discussed common payer practices and policies that rheumatologists must navigate to secure and maintain appropriate care for their patients, including pharmacy benefit managers and prior authorization.
Expert Guidance from the ACR/ARP Access in Rheumatology Meeting
ACR/ARP Access in Rheumatology—As part of ACR Education Exchange 2023, the ACR/ARP Access in Rheumatology meeting addressed some of the major challenges in coverage and payment that U.S. rheumatology practices face. Speakers included rheumatologists, rheumatology professionals, office managers and CEOs. The first section, Thriving, Not Just Surviving—Keeping Your Rheumatology Practice Solvent, focused on financial management…
Rheumatic Disease Research in Indigenous Populations
This ACR Convergence 2022 session focused on ways to improve health equity in Indigenous populations.
The ACR Responds to Impact of the Dobbs v. Jackson Decision on Rheumatology Patients and Providers
The ACR and a new Access to Reproductive Health Care Task Force are working to ensure patients with rheumatic disease—particularly women—have access to the medications and treatments they need, including methotrexate, and that rheumatology providers are able to maintain trusting relationships with and advise their patients on all matters relevant to the management of their rheumatic diseases.
A Primer on Copay Accumulator Programs
The growing use of copay accumulator programs, which restrict the application of patient assistance funds toward cost-sharing requirements, hurts patient access to life-changing treatments. This was one topic discussed during the ACR’s Advocacy Leadership Conference in D.C. this May.
Electronic Consultations Could Improve Access to Rheumatologic Care
Patients shouldn’t need to exercise patience when it comes to getting needed rheumatologic care. E-consults are an evolving telehealth modality with the potential to improve access to rheumatologic care in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
Healthcare Accessibility for People with Rheumatic Disease in New Haven, CT
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated wide disparities that exist in the U.S. healthcare system. During the pandemic, the clinical practice in the Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), New Haven, Conn., rapidly pivoted from face-to-face visits to telehealth to keep our patients and providers safe. Many patients quickly adapted and…
Rheumatology Care: Access & Affordability
Presenters at the Access in Rheumatology meeting held in advance of the ACR’s State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium took a deep dive into the access challenges faced by rheumatology patients and discussed possible solutions. Treatment At least until 2026, prescription drug spending will exceed the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and health spending, said rheumatologist Colin C….
5 Challenges in the Treatment & Diagnosis of Lupus
A recent study published in Lupus Science & Medicine lays out five of the top barriers impeding progress in lupus diagnosis and treatment.1 The Addressing Lupus Pillars for Health Advancement project (ALPHA), led by the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), researchers at the Tufts School of Medicine Center for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts…
Arkansas Rheumatology Association Tackles Rural Health Issues
In Arkansas, where according to the Arthritis Foundation 672,000 people live with arthritis, it’s not unusual for patients to travel at least 100 miles to see a rheumatologist.1 Michael Saitta, MD, a rheumatologist at the Arthritis Center of the Ozarks, Fayetteville, and president of the Arkansas Rheumatology Association (ARA), says patient access is a huge…