More than 1.5 million Americans are living with rheumatoid arthritis.

A diagnosis is life altering, as RA causes chronic swelling and pain and increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and depression. After learning they have the disease, many patients head to their local Infusion Center for treatment, as many of the best medicines for RA are delivered intravenously.

But if Medicare officials in Washington proceed with a new plan to cut Medicare funding, many of these centers will close or be forced to turn away patients who need these advanced treatments. This proposal, which impacts Medicare Part B, will deny patients convenient access to the medicines they depend on. It must be shelved.