11/20/2018

Important Oncology Related News

Oncologists Wary Of Possible Mandatory Radiation Demo

Radiation oncologists are concerned about the possibility of mandatory participation in a radiation oncology demonstration after HHS Secretary Alex Azar indicated such a model was on the way. Ted Okon, executive director of the Community Oncology Alliance, said layering mandatory demonstrations on top of the voluntary Oncology Care Model doesn’t make much sense. READ MORE

Bipartisan Group of More Than 100 Lawmakers Urges Improvements to Prior Authorization Under Medicare Advantage

A bipartisan group of more than 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma urging the Agency to review and improve prior authorization practices under Medicare Advantage (MA). The letter, led by Rep. Ami Bera, MD (CA-7), and Rep. Phil Roe, MD (TN-1), cites concerns that MA beneficiaries may be encountering barriers to care due to “onerous and often unnecessary prior authorization requirements.”

Specifically, the letter urges CMS to:  READ MORE

ASCO Resolutions on Step Therapy, Competitive Acquisition Program Proposed at AMA House of Delegates

November 9, 2018 - ASCO’s resolutions on step therapy, Medicare Part B drugs, a Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP), and clinical trial access were adopted or reaffirmed by the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates, as well as an ASCO-backed resolution on Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDRs). The AMA HOD also adopted a late ASCO-backed resolution affirming that some patients with acute or chronic pain can benefit from taking higher doses of opioid pain medication than generally recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and calling on the AMA to advocate against the misapplication of CDC guidelines to ensure patients have medical access to opioids.  READ MORE