News
In-office infusions at risk with new Medicare Part B reimbursement recommendation
New recommendations from MedPAC that would lower reimbursements for some Part B drugs threaten to potentially put some practices with infusion...
Opinion
Getting a white-bagging exemption: A win for the patient, employer, and rheumatologist
Costs for specialty drugs can be much higher for both employers with self-funded insurance plans and their employees when they allow an insurance...
Opinion
A little education goes a long way for advocacy
Fellows who learned about the influence that pharmacy benefit managers have on drug costs and access at the Coalition of State Rheumatology...
Opinion
Unintended consequences of perfectly good programs and policies
Dr. Madelaine Feldman describes the unintended consequences of what were thought to be good ideas at the time: Giving safe harbor from the Anti-...
News
Use 2022’s advocacy successes and frustrations as a catalyst for the new year
Dr. Mattie Feldman looks back on the successes and frustrations with health policy legislation and regulation and insurance companies in 2022,...
News
Employers’ self-funded health plans can leave rheumatology patients vulnerable
The CSRO is developing a employer tool kit that educates employers with self-funded health plans about the pitfalls of some of their drug coverage...
Opinion
Who’s in charge here? Rheumatologists battle local Medicare policies threatening access, practice sustainability
Dr. Mattie Feldman explains the advocacy work that the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations and other groups are undertaking to address...
News
Will ‘gold card’ legislation and others rein in prior authorizations?
“Gold card” legislation already passed or in the works in several states has potential to reduce prior authorization burdens on clinicians, but...
Opinion
New law will awaken employers to health care’s ‘transparency gap’
Not only will the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2020-21 help to eliminate much of the “transparency gap” in the system, but it may encourage...
News
Taking 2021’s rheumatology advocacy momentum into 2022
In the coming year, prepare to advocate to legislators for policies that prohibit payers from mandating the use of white bagging, brown bagging,...
Opinion
Beware patients’ health plans that skirt state laws on specialty drug access
Dr. Mattie Feldman calls on rheumatologists to take third-party administrators to task for convincing businesses that use self-funded health...
News
Legislative wins set groundwork for future success
Dr. Madelaine (Mattie) Feldman recounts recent advocacy wins across states in fighting copay accumulators, step therapy, and pharmacy benefit...
Opinion
How I got started in advocacy
Rheumatology News and the CSRO have partnered to keep rheumatologists regularly informed on the advocacy issues of the day.