The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) announced that it has collaborated with a multitude of health-care organizations to submit a total of 26 health policy comment letters to federal officials this year—in addition to 24 letters sent in 2022. In the new letters, the ACR and its partners addressed a variety of obstacles that rheumatology health-care providers are challenged with and advocated for legislation that will support them. The letters stressed the need to add training positions and mitigate the cost of medical education; called for an expedient, medically reasonable step therapy exceptions process; voiced the importance of copay assistance for patients; explained the need for permanent updates to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor; voiced concerns for the high drug prices covered under Medicare Part B; advocated for ongoing biomedical research; and requested advancing inoperability and improving the prior authorization process. In the latest submitted letter, the ACR queried Congress to consider potential solutions to the physician workforce shortage. “We urge policymakers to address the issues these letters have raised and consider solutions we’ve proposed to improve the delivery of high-quality health care for all Americans,” concluded Douglas White, MD, PhD, President of ACR.
August 09, 2023