Nearly 70 rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals convened in Washington, D.C., to advocate on behalf of legislation that would preserve and help to grow America’s healthcare workforce.
Advocacy Leadership Conference: Reflections from an Accidental Rheumatology Advocate
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.
ACR Leaders to Meet with Members of Congress at May 12 Capitol Hill Event
The meetings will focus on legislation affecting rheumatology, including bills on graduate medical education and use of copay assistance funds.
ACR Hill Visits Yield Key Bill Support; Plus Medicare, Biosimilar Wins
Greetings from Washington, D.C., where ACR leaders just held more than 100 meetings on Capitol Hill supporting reforms to step therapy and prior authorization, increased reimbursement for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), solutions to the rheumatology workforce shortage, and rheumatology-specific research at the Pentagon. We’re already hearing great news about our successes: Hours after our visit,…
At the Table: ACR Meets with MedPAC
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) makes recommendations to Congress on Medicare policy including physician payments and patient access issues. These recommendations can directly impact rheumatology care coverage and rheumatologist reimbursement. Representatives of the ACR and partners recently met with new MedPAC Executive Director James E. Mathews, PhD, to discuss appropriate recognition of rheumatology care…
Help the ACR Bring Its Message to the Hill
The ACR will be back on Capitol Hill Sept. 26 to advocate for lower out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs and the repeal of arbitrary Medicare therapy caps, as well as to shed light on the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in drug pricing. But it will take the voice of all rheumatology professionals and…
ACR Holds Its Ground Amid Rapid-Fire Changes in D.C.
Greetings from your advocacy team in Washington, D.C.! The tectonic plates of the U.S. political landscape continue to shift. The latest: President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday, May 16; since then, Congress and journalists have had very little bandwidth for much else. But healthcare advocates remember just several news cycles ago when…