Health and Medical Organizations Urge Senators to Cosponsor Medicare Act
On March 28, more than 100 health and medical organizations, including ASCO, sent a letter to the Senate urging Members to cosponsor S. 2785, the Save Medicare Act of 2008, sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

The legislation will:

• Extend the current 0.5% Medicare physician payment update through December 31.
  
• Provide a 1.8% update for 2009, which corresponds to the final 2008 Medicare Economic Index.
  
• Extend provisions from the July 2007 update for those practicing in rural areas including the work GPCI floor and the 5% scarcity area bonus payment.
  
• Continue an accommodation to enable physicians in the armed forces to engage in substitute billing arrangements for longer than 60 days when they are ordered to active duty.

Under the current Medicare physician payment formula, payments are scheduled to decrease by 10.6% on July 1.

ASCO believes the Save Medicare Act of 2008 will provide the necessary time for Congress and the medical community to develop a long-term solution to preserve access for current and future Medicare beneficiaries.

ASCO and the other supporting health and medical organizations are urging their membership to contact their Senators to ask them to cosponsor the legislation.

For more information, contact ASCO's Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department at 703-299-1050 or publicpolicy@asco.org.


Wyoming Passes Law Requiring Coverage for People on Clinical Trials
On March 12, the Governor of Wyoming enacted a law requiring insurers to provide coverage for people who participate in cancer clinical trials. The law applies to participants in phase II, III, and IV trials approved by the National Institutes of Health, Food & Drug Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, or Department of Defense. The coverage applies to routine patient care costs associated with clinical trials participation, including doctor’s visits and lab tests.

The coverage does not apply to the drug or device provided by the trial sponsor, services that are customarily provided for free by the sponsor, non-health care costs associated with participation (e.g., transportation), and costs associated with data collection and research management. The law goes into effect July 1.

Wyoming becomes the twenty-first state to include a clinical trials coverage requirement in law. Three other states (New Jersey, Michigan, and Georgia) have negotiated an agreement whereby insurers voluntarily provide coverage. Additionally, Ohio provides coverage to its state employees. A complete list of the states and details on the coverage requirements/agreements is available on the NCI Web site.

Following is a report on the status of other states’ clinical trials coverage legislation:

• Alaska: SB 280 would require insurers (including the state Medicaid program) to provide coverage for clinical trials for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or palliation of cancer. The bill has been referred to three committees – one of which has approved it and another has scheduled a hearing for later this week.
  
  
• Iowa: SF 2313 would require insurers to provide coverage for clinical trials that treat cancer with therapeutic intent. The bill would establish a Cancer Clinical Trial Review Board to adjudicate in cases of disputes about insurer coverage of patient care costs. The bill passed the Senate Human Resources Committee at the beginning of last month.
  
  
• Kansas: The state Senate has passed legislation (SB 629) to require insurers to provide coverage for clinical trials that address cancer prevention, screening, early detection, treatment, and survivorship. The legislation also would establish a Clinical Trials Coverage Advisory Committee to determine the costs and benefits of providing coverage. The legislation would apply to all insurance plans issued after January 1, 2009, and has been referred to the House Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee.
  
  
• Kentucky: The House passed legislation (HB 317) to provide coverage for cancer treatment trials designed to study: how to administer a treatment, responsiveness to and effectiveness of a treatment, and new uses of treatment. The bill has been reported favorably by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and is currently being considered by the state Senate.
  
  
• New Hampshire: HB 1540 would extend the state’s existing clinical trials coverage law to New Hampshire’s Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs.
  
  
• Ohio: The Senate has passed legislation (SB 186) to prohibit plans from denying coverage for cancer clinical trials designed to test new treatments to improve health outcomes. The legislation is being considered by the House Insurance Committee.
  
  
• Oklahoma: SB 1521 passed the Senate on March 12. It would require insurers to provide coverage for trials aimed at early detection, treatment, or palliation of cancer, as well as to prevent reoccurrence. The bill would apply to all plans issued after January 1, 2009.
  
  
• Pennsylvania: Two bills have been introduced – SB 275 and HB 1462. The House bill provides more comprehensive coverage for clinical trials for cancer treatment, palliation, and prevention. The Senate bill provides coverage only for treatment-related trials. The coverage requirement provided in the Senate bill would expire June 30, 2012. The House Insurance Committee held a hearing in September 2007, and the bill has been referred to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, which is expected to issue a recommendation by May 7.

Contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy and Clinical Affairs Department at researchpolicy@asco.org with any questions or for additional information about state clinical trials coverage laws or pending legislation.


Oncology Electronic Health Record Field Guide Available
Electronic health records (EHR) are an important vehicle for advancing quality cancer care. To help oncology practices select, purchase and implement an EHR, ASCO has developed a new handbook, The Oncology Electronic Health Record Field Guide: Selecting and Implementing an EHR.

Several organizations have developed guidance for their members who are interested in purchasing and using an EHR. However, this field guide is the only oncology-specific consumer manual designed to guide oncology practices in selecting current and future oncology-specific EHRs for clinical practice management and quality-of-care measurement and improvement.

The chapters in this field guide address the core functionalities desired in an oncology-specific EHR, including:

• Identifying an EHR project team
  
• Selecting an EHR
  
• Building a budget
  
• Using the EHR to support quality of care and patient safety
  
• Post-implementation management

The guide is available in hard copy as well as PDF. Electronic users can print worksheets and forms as they go through the guide’s material. Both formats of the field guide can be purchased by emailing Support@articleworks.com or calling 800-804-1425.

More information is available online.


News and Notes
New ESA Instruction Sheet Available on ASCO Web site
A new instruction sheet on reporting hematocrit/hemoglobin in conjunction with claims for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) is now available on ASCO’s Web site.

Join ASCO's Advocacy Network
Advocacy is most effective when Members of Congress and government agencies hear from you, their constituents. By participating in ASCO's Advocacy Network, you will have the opportunity to develop ongoing relationships with your legislators while helping ASCO raise awareness on important cancer issues. To join the Advocacy Network, visit ASCO's Grassroots Action Center.

ASCO Extends Resources to Practice Administrators
ASCO encourages members whose practice administrators are interested in receiving Cancer Policy Today to forward their administrator's contact information to practice@asco.org.