CMS reminds providers about Medicare coverage for this disease.

The Arthritis Foundation is busy broadcasting that May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. In addition to touting the national Walk for Arthritis, the Foundation's Web site, www.arthritis.org, lists helpful information for providers and patients. For example, the Web site features a pamphlet on how diabetes and arthritis are connected, which includes self-management tips. Site visitors can also "read a health tip about rheumatoid arthritis" and how to manage it.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is promoting the awareness to healthcare providers and reminding them that Medicare provides coverage of a range of treatments for osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a painful, degenerative joint disease characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage. It often involves the hips, knees, neck, lower back, or small joints of the hands. It is the most common form of arthritis, affecting approximately one third of Americans aged 65 and older. About 80 percent of patients with osteoarthritis have some degree of movement limitation, and 25 percent cannot perform major activities of daily living. Osteoarthritis of the knee is one of the leading causes of disability among non-institutionalized adults. 

The good news is that, in many cases, treatment for osteoarthritis can control pain, minimize joint damage, improve physical functions, and enhance the quality of life.  Exercise, physical therapy, weight loss, medications, and, for advanced cases, surgical intervention, can decrease pain and improve physical function.  Early diagnosis can make it easier to successfully manage this disease.

In short, "National Arthritis Awareness Month provides an excellent opportunity for health care professionals to help increase awareness, knowledge, and understanding of strategies for managing arthritis," CMS said in an email to providers. The agency listed a number of ways providers can help patients with arthritis:

1) Stay informed of the latest clinical guidelines for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment;

2) Familiarize yourself with Medicare’s coverage of the continuum of treatments for osteoarthritis, including the full range of treatment from physician office visits related to osteoarthritis care to total joint replacement surgery. 

3) Talk with your patients about their risks factors for arthritis, prevention measures they can take to reduce their risk factors, and lifestyle changes they can make to improve their joint health.

4) Encourage eligible Medicare patients to take full advantage of Medicare’s benefits that can help improve physical functions and decrease pain associated with arthritis. For example, certain prescription drugs for osteoarthritis are covered under the Medicare Part D drug program, and beneficiaries with osteoarthritis may be eligible for certain therapy services. Medicare also covers surgical procedures, including total joint replacement, for beneficiaries with advanced osteoarthritis, and most beneficiaries have supplemental coverage to help pay for out-of-pocket costs associated with these procedures.

Certain healthcare providers also have added incentive (aka a cash bonus from CMS via the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative) if they assess patients for function and pain, as well as their use of anti-inflammatory or analgesic over-the-counter medications.

See the links below for a variety of information on arthritis:

• For more information about arthritis, visit The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at www.niams.nih.gov  

• For additional information on total joint surgery, see www.aahks.org