[Update rheumatism focusing on rheumatoid arthritis]

Rheumatic diseases do not only represent a challenge in day to day clinical medicine but also during underwriting and claims handling in insurance medicine. New diagnostic laboratory tests and therapeutic options constantly improve diagnostic quality and treatment outcomes. Using rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as an example this article explains how this new aspects found their way into international diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines. The introduction of diagnostic ACPAs (Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies) and the therapeutic use of currently still relatively expensive biologicals have to be highlighted in this respect. Backed by modern therapeutic options recent RA morbidity figures of employed persons indicate a shift to less severe morbidity spectra. For individual case evaluation it is of importance to understand the most relevant aspects of such innovations for adequate and sound case assessment in underwriting and claims.