Deborah Dyett Desir, MD, who will be sworn in as president-elect of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in November, was on Capitol Hill in September with other ACR executive committee members to discuss proposed cuts to Medicare and increased funding for arthritis research.
Desir, associate professor of clinical medicine (rheumatology) in the section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology in the Department of Internal Medicine, was joined by other leaders of the ACR and the Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) to discuss Medicare reform with key congressional leaders, urging them to mitigate scheduled reductions to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, noting that millions of seniors have relied on the Medicare program, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a 2021 year-end legislative action by Congress mitigated scheduled cuts, Medicare providers face another round of significant payment reductions on January 1, 2023.
Desir also attended the Annual Advocates for Arthritis meeting where rheumatologists and patients from across the country advocated for a dedicated U.S. Department of Defense research budget for arthritis to accelerate prevention and treatment strategies for U.S. service members with arthritis.
According to the ACR, despite epidemic-level rates of arthritis in the U.S. Armed Forces and the growing cost of arthritis to the U.S. military, there is currently no U.S. Department of Defense budget for medical research on arthritis. Many other diseases, including autism, breast cancer, and epilepsy, receive dedicated medical research budgets at the department. A dedicated research budget for arthritis is critical to accelerate prevention and treatment strategies for affected U.S. service members, Desir and the other executive committee members argued.
According to the ACR:
· Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among U.S. military veterans.
· Arthritis is the second leading cause of medical discharge from the U.S. Army.
· One in three veterans is diagnosed with arthritis, compared to one in five members of the general U.S. population.
· Arthritis limits quality of life for veterans.
· Arthritis is responsible for rising health costs at the DoD and the VA because of its impact on disease management, joint pain, loss of function, and joint replacement surgery.
The Section of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology is dedicated to providing care for patients with rheumatic, allergic and immunologic disorders; educating future generations of thought leaders in the field; and conducting research into fundamental questions of autoimmunity and immunology. To learn more about their work, visit Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology.