From The College September 2006

The complete newsletter is available in PDF format, below.

Featured Article

ACR President Crow Visits Senators

In these increasingly political times, ACR leadership recognizes that it is essential to make our presence known on Capitol Hill. Physicians are continuing to see decreases in physician reimbursement because of the flawed sustainable growth rate formula, and now changes in the deficit reduction act threaten rheumatologists’ income even further.

In an effort to strengthen the ACR’s presence on Capitol Hill, ACR President Mary K. Crow, MD, sat down with Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, both of Georgia. Dr. Crow’s goal was to make the Senators aware of issues being tackled by rheumatologists. Dr. Crow was joined at these meetings by ACR Board of Directors member David Borenstein, MD, ACR staff member Tiffany Schmidt, JD, MBA, Vice President of Socio-economic Affairs, ACR Government Affairs Senior Specialist, Aaron Johnson, and ACR’s Washington Representative, Martha Kendrick.

The ACR was fortunate to have approximately 30 minutes with each Senator. Dr. Crow provided Senators Isakson and Chambliss with a brief overview of problems plaguing rheumatologists. The top issue was the recurring decrease in physician reimbursement and the flawed formula. The Senators commented that they have heard from multiple other physician groups that this continues to be a problem. Both Senators would like to work on a permanent fix for this problem.

Dr. Crow also discussed the need for increased appropriations for arthritis research funding. It is important to keep research dollars at a steady incline so research can continue. Once a research project is stopped because of funding, the researcher is lost to the system forever.

Another important topic of discussion was the imaging reimbursement cuts slated to take affect this year as part of the deficit reduction act. The cuts would dramatically decrease reimbursement for DEXA along with other imaging studies. Dr. Crow suggested that the Senators review current legislation that would delay the cuts for two years while the Government Accounting Office can review imaging. Finally, Dr. Crow thanked each Senator for signing on to the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act of 2005. This is important legislation that needs to be passed. To date, the legislation has 48 co-sponsors in the Senate and 197 co-sponsors in the House. Both Senators showed a considerable concern for the causes of the ACR and have pledged to work with the ACR on a continued basis in order to help achieve our goals.

Isakson to Sponsor September Reception
The ACR is happy to announce that Senator Isakson has agreed to sponsor the ACR during our annual Legislative Reception in September. Every year the ACR holds a Legislative Reception to educate members of Congress on issues related to rheumatologists. This reception gives ACR and ARHP members and their patients an opportunity to speak personally with members of Congress and their health legislative assistants.

Your voice is needed in Washington, too. To learn more about how you can contact your senators and representatives about issues important to rheumatology, visit the ACR legislative action center at www.rheumatology.org/advocacy/takeaction.