The Increasing Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act would set a $98 floor for Medicare reimbursement for the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone density test.
RheumPAC Donors Discuss Healthcare Legislation, Drug Pricing with Rep. Lloyd Doggett
At a virtual event with the chair of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health, RheumPAC donors were able to share concerns and recommendations about drug pricing policies and how they affect providers and patients.
What to Expect in State Legislatures in 2021
New state legislatures face many continuing issues, including budget shortfalls, vaccine distribution problems and strained healthcare infrastructure. However, opportunities exist for significant policy wins for rheumatology, particularly on the issues of step therapy reform, telemedicine and copay accumulators.
Advocating for Change: Q&A with Georgia State Rep. Kim Schofield
Rep. Kim Schofield’s path to the Georgia House of Representatives started with her lupus diagnosis 20 years ago.
Capitol Hill Rheumatology Advocacy Goes Virtual
ACR volunteer leaders and staff will convene more than 100 meetings via teleconference with Congressional leaders on May 22, addressing rheumatology provider solvency and patient access to care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last Call for 2019 RheumPAC Contributions
The ACR thanks all members who donated to RheumPAC this year. These contributions enable the ACR to educate key legislators and their staffs about the important issues rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals face. Every dollar raised goes directly to the re-election campaigns of legislative leaders in our field to help those who best understand our issues…
A Rheumatology Fellow Shares Her Journey to Capitol Hill via the ACR’s Advocacy 101 Program
In summer 2017, I was a few months post-partum when I received an email announcing applications for the ACR’s Advocacy 101 program. It would take only a few days, but I asked my division director if it would be worth the time commitment. He questioned the career benefits of advocacy, but encouraged me to apply…
Drug Industry on Tenterhooks as Maryland Price-Gouging Law Nears
(Reuters)—As U.S. consumer outrage grows over prescription drug prices, state authorities and patient advocates in Maryland are preparing to enforce the nation’s first law designed to punish drugmaker price-gouging. The Maryland Attorney General’s office said it will field complaints and investigate “unconscionable increases” in essential generic medicines when the closely watched law takes effect Oct….
The ACR Seeks Legislation to Help Ease Rheumatologist Workforce Shortage
With a shortage of rheumatologists in the U.S. already a problem and projected to get far worse, the ACR is advocating for the passage of a variety of laws that would help narrow the gap. Legislation being fought for by ACR advocacy leaders involves streamlining visa processing for foreign physicians and promoting incentives for physicians…
Challenges Rheumatologists Will Face in 2017
Rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals interested in knowing more about the major legislative and regulatory issues that may have an impact on their practice will want to attend the Legislative and Regulatory Update 2016 session at the upcoming ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 7:30–8:30 a.m. in Room 140A, Will Harvey, MD, MSc,…