Step therapy just delay care!!! 2016 Arthritis Foundation survey noted patient experienced negative health effects from delay in getting the right treatment. American College of Rheumatology ACRheumDC #act4arthritis

NJ does NOT have Step Therapy Reform “Fail First” delays patients getting their appropriate treatments - causing irreversible damage, erosions & disability ⏰= 💪 Support S 652, HR 2630 #Act4Arthritis ACRheumDC Sen. Cory Booker Senator Bob Menendez Rep Josh Gottheimer Eric Dein Bibi Ayesha MD

Thank you Cory Booker for co-sponsoring the Safe Step Act S652 for #steptherapy reform. Your #Act4Arthritis will help put patients first instead of Fail First policies that cause lasting and irreversible damage Asena Bahce-Altuntas Bibi Ayesha MD ACRheumDC

Thank you Jordyn for meeting with us from Senator Bob Menendez office and discussing #PBMtransparency. 3 companies have 80% of the market & work w insurers to maintain high prices & pocket billions, while pts suffer from medical $$ #Act4Arthritis ACRheumDC Bibi Ayesha MD Asena Bahce-Altuntas

Thank you Rep Josh Gottheimer for co-sponsoring HR2630 Safe Step Act to help patients get necessary Rx Fail First Policies make patients remain on sub-optimal or previously failed medications before starting on appropriate therapy. ACRheumDC #Act4Arthritis Bibi Ayesha MD Asena Bahce-Altuntas

Thank you ⁦Menendez for NJ⁩ for meeting w Rheum NJ is a state w/o any #Steptherapy legislation. Drug $, #PBM, Fail first policies and prior auths fail our pts by delaying and prohibiting necessary Rx #Act4Arthritis ⁦ACRheumDC⁩ ⁦Bibi Ayesha MD⁩ ⁦Asena Bahce-Altuntas⁩

Thank you for meeting with us Congressman Donald Norcross 🇺🇸 to discuss #PBMtransparency PBMs are intermediaries that work w insurers, pharma, & pharmacies to set Rx pricing, pocketing $BILLIONS$💰while pts pay heavily We ask for transparency! #Act4Arthritis ACRheumDC Asena Bahce-Altuntas Bibi Ayesha MD

Rheumatology providers & patients have over 100 meetings on Capitol Hill from 26 states (& the District of Columbia) telling Congress to improve access to medications thru reform of #StepTherapy and #PBMs. Join us by sending a quick note 👇 rheumatology.org/contact-policy… #Act4Arthritis

#SafeStep Act creates a clear process for working through #steptherapy, avoiding unnecessary delays and futile Rx #PBMtransparency gives insight into #PBM practices which pocket huge revenues, w/o lowering pt drug prices #Act4Arthritis ACRheumDC Bibi Ayesha MD Asena Bahce-Altuntas

Outdoor advocacy with Rep. Frank Pallone Thanks for your interest in supporting #PBMtransparency to protect our patients from companies that pocket $$ w/o lowering drug prices Transparency to the process will help the system work #Act4Arthritis ACRheumDC Bibi Ayesha MD Asena Bahce-Altuntas

via The New York Times. Rest in Peace Sir Michael Gambon. "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love." nytimes.com/2023/09/28/art…

Viral screening before immunosuppressive therapy: 🔸 HBV infection (HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HBsAb) 🔸Pre-emptive therapy in all HBsAg + and HBV-DNA + patients & monitoring in all isolated anti-HBc 🔸 Rituximab warrants therapy regardless of HBV DNA Leonard Calabrese #ACR23 American College of Rheumatology

Does the weather affect synovitis? Abstract this suggested so! Low wind speed & temp rise associated w/joint u/s findings in a large prospectove cohort Full disclosure: I'm super skeptical of this, whole lotta p values. Still, love "fun" science😂🤣 Dr. John Cush #ACR23 Abstr407

Louise Thoma Ashima Makol MD Alicia Hinze, MD, MHS S. Reza Jafarzadeh Matthew Baker M.D., M.S. BU/BMC Rheumatology Stanford Rheumatology 𝓛𝓲𝓼𝓪 🐳🗺🧭 Dzifa Dey Catherine Hill Elena Nikiphorou Kanon Jatuworapruk Ihsane Hmamouchi Nelly ZIADE 🍀 Laura Andreoli LauraCoates Latika Women more frequently reported that having children had a neg impact on career advancement Women reported discrimination at work – from colleagues, patients, staff, admin #ACR23

ACR's Director in DC Lennie McDaniel says a main priority is to bring transparency and claw back the $490 billion #PBMs siphon away from health care in the US. ACRheumDC #ACR23

Should all of active moms with #SLE receive DVT prophylaxis post partum? High rates of VTE in #ARDs post partum #0722 #ACRbest #ACR23 Dr. John Cush American College of Rheumatology Likely data driven by #SLE and maybe #RA and not all #autoimmune #rheumatic #disease. Large pop’n data from California

Are we tapering steroids too rapidly? Real world experience: steroid tapering in severe #AAV based on #PEXIVAS protocol noted higher rates of dz progression, relapse, ESRD, death. Risk greatest when creatinine > 300umol/L and w/RTX induction #Plenary1 #ACR23 Abst#0725 #ACrBest

My favorite rheumatology quote!

ACR/ARHP members — please consider donating to ACR’s #rheumPAC to help ensure access to care & stronger workforce. #ACR2023 #Act4Arthritis

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