2026 WRA 19th Annual Conference Topics: Register Today!

September 11-13, 2026

Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort

7375 Icicle Road

Leavenworth, WA 98826

Register HERE


Friday, September 11, 2026

Industry Roundtable Discussions / Advisory Boards

Welcome reception for all attendees, families, speakers, and exhibitors; Kingfisher Restaurant

 

 Saturday, September 12, 2026 

Satellite Breakfast Symposium sponsored by Argenx; Not for CME; physician and healthcare professional attendees only; Kingfisher Restaurant.

Year in Review –  Erin Bauer, MD, Amish Dave, MD

Taking a New Look at Psoriatic Arthritis and Its Comorbidities Through the Lens of TYK2 Inhibition – Anthony Turkiewicz, MD

Interesting Cases and Pearls from Pediatric Rheumatology – Susan Shenoi, MD

Sjögren’s Disease and the B-Cell Frontier: What Clinicians Need to Know Now to Prepare for Future Therapies– Howard Kenney, MD

Satellite Lunch Symposium sponsored by AbbVie; Not for CME; physician and healthcare professional attendees only

Osteoporosis –  Lynn Kohlmeier

The Force of Fromage – Bob Ettlinger, MD

Metabolic Complications in Rheumatic Disease – Sanjay Chabra, DO

Keynote – Retirement Planning -Christopher Chow

Annual Banquet; Open for all attendees, families, speakers, and exhibitors; Kingfisher Restaurant

 

 Sunday, September 14, 2025       

University of Washington Fellows Presentations

Advocacy Update; WSMA

WRA Annual Business Meeting

2026 WRA Annual Meeting is September 11-13, 2026

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Register Today!

September 11-13, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

We are looking forward to gathering in person for the Washington Rheumatology Alliance Annual Meeting! Once again, we will be hosting the event at the charming Sleeping Lady Resort in the beautiful Cascade Mountains. Please join us from Friday, September 11th – Sunday, September 13th, 2026.

Attendees and guest speakers are welcomed to stay on site at Sleeping Lady Resort. We request that industry representatives stay at the nearby Resort WRA has arranged at Icicle Village Resort.

(DRAFT) Agenda WRA 2026

We look forward to seeing you this summer! Thank you for your continued support of the WRA.

Jeff Peterson, MD

WRA President

The Vasculitis Foundation Regional Conference

Washington Rheumatology Alliance is proud to promote The Vasculitis Foundation Regional Conference

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2025 

Cedarbrook Lodge

18525 36th Avenue South

Seattle, WA 98188

Learn from and engage with medical professionals, researchers, and patients. Topics include: emerging therapies, living well with vasculitis, new medications, nutrition, and more.
Meet others who are living with or caring for someone with vasculitis.
Snacks, lunch, and parking are included.

Learn More & Register HERE

WRA 17th Annual Conference

September 13-15, 2024
Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort
7375 Icicle Road
Leavenworth, WA 98826

Register today and secure your room at
Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort – Space is Limited!

We are honored to host the following topics and speakers:

CONFERENCE AGENDA

Registration Details
This year, you can renew your annual WRA dues on the conference registration form! This will also ensure you get the member rate for the conference.

  • $45 Annual WRA dues
  • $45 conference registration fee for the entire weekend’s programming (including CME credit!)
  • $25 per ticket for guests

Registration includes the following:

Friday night opening reception and Saturday Banquet – Open to all participants and their family members.

1.5 days of educational programming for physicians (Saturday and Sunday)

Online registration has closed. We’d still love to see you! You can register onsite at the attendee registration desk.

Hotel Accommodations
Please call (800) 574-2123 or email Reservations@sleepinglady.com to make your reservations. Please identify yourself as attending the Washington Rheumatology Alliance conference. In the body of the email, outline your rooming needs. Also be sure to include a phone number and the best time to be reached for a call back.

Where Can Industry Representatives Stay?
We request that industry representatives not plan to stay at the Sleeping Lady Resort, as we need to reserve the rooms there for attendees and guest speakers. This year, we have arranged for a discounted room block at the Enzian Inn, in the charming Bavarian-themed village of Leavenworth.

The Enzian Inn room block includes a variety of rooms from basic to deluxe. Rooms will be available until the block is sold out or until August 13, whichever comes first. To reserve your room, please call (509)548-5269 and use group number 10957 for WA Rheumatology Alliance.

This will be a sold-out conference, be sure to register today!  We look forward to having you join us this September.

For questions about the WRA and its programs, contact WRA at jena@wsma.org 

Dr. Joe Merola Presenting at the Seattle Great West Rounds – July 10

The Arthritis Foundation Great West will welcome Dr. Joe Merola, UT Southwestern Medical Center, on Wednesday, July 10th as our Great West Rounds speaker. Dr. Merola’s will discuss updates in the management of skin disease in rheumatology. It will be a case-based presentation with a broad overview covering psoriasis, SLE, and dermatomyositis.

Registration and Event Details:
Click HERE

We hope you can join us!

Understanding the New Medicare G2211 Code

Revised on December 5, 2023, the New Medicare G2211 code for outpatient office visits can be found here Medicare G2211 Code

FAQ’s

Q. When will HCPCS code G2211 be implemented?
A. CMS is expected to begin reimbursing for code G2211 on January 1, 2024
The code adds a $16.08 payment to standard E&M payments

Q. Should code G2211 be used only for new patients?
A. No, it is an add-on code that can be listed separately in addition to office/outpatient E/M visits
for new or established patients (i.e., codes 99202-99215).

Q. Will code G2211 be covered by other third-party payers?
A. G2211 was created specifically for use on Medicare claims; therefore, there is no guarantee
that other payers other than Medicare will reimburse for this code.

TAKE ACTION: Sign in ‘PRO’ to Share the Savings!

Washington’s own Share the Savings bill (SB 5445, HB 1465) is a measure that will help lower the cost of prescription drugs for patients throughout the state.

Share the Savings will improve the lives of Washingtonians who may struggle to cover out-of-pocket costs for medications and treatments by requiring health insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to share their negotiated savings directly with patients.

We need as many people possible to sign in ‘PRO’ before NEXT WEDNESDAY 2/1. It only takes 30 seconds!

➡️ Senate sign in HERE!

➡️ House sign in HERE!

Share the Savings

Health care is, unfortunately, a complicated system in the United States, with numerous players involved at every step. While the manufacturer makes the drug, the PBM contracts with the health insurance carriers to manage their prescription drug programs. PBMs are essentially the middlemen who negotiate rebates for the cost of prescription drugs and place medications within each health plan’s drug formulary. On average, manufacturers rebate 40% of a medication’s list price back to insurers or PBMs.

However, these rebates are really intended to be passed on to patients, which is particularly necessary for patients with health plans that utilize high deductibles or significant cost sharing. These patients are charged the full list price at the pharmacy counter, not the after-rebate price. PBMs and insurers pocket the savings from these rebates, while patients rarely see their fair share.

Share the Savings would fix that loophole by requiring 100% of rebates to be shared directly with patients – meaning patients see immediate savings at the pharmacy counter. Access to these rebates will help ensure patient adherence to their prescribed medications, as patients will often ration or stop medications if the over-the-counter costs are prohibitive. Share the Savings is one step that can help prevent patients from having to make that choice.

Drug manufacturers, health insurance companies and PBMs all play a part in delivering necessary medications to patients. The legislature has done much over the past few years to address the manufacturer’s role in drug pricing. Share the Savings ensures that we address other parts of the prescription drug supply chain that currently prevent savings from reaching the patients most in need of these rebates.

The WRA aim to expand access to healthcare and most importantly, improve the lives of the patients we treat. Share the Savings is one way to ensure Washingtonians can afford the lifesaving medications they need. We look forward to continuing this work to help all Washingtonians access innovative, affordable medicines.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more ways to engage on this effort!