Editor: Joseph S. Bailes, MD, Chair, ASCO Government Relations Council

CMS Releases 2010 Physician Fee Schedule
On October 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the final 2010 physician fee schedule that includes a 1 percent reduction for oncology services.

Update on Status of Health Care Reform Legislation
After months of debate, on November 7 the U.S. House of Representatives passed by a vote of 220-215 the Affordable Health Care for America Act, a trillion-dollar health reform package to provide insurance coverage to most Americans.

ASCO Releases Annual Progress Report on Top Cancer Research Advances
Today ASCO released its award-winning report, Clinical Cancer Advances 2009: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening, an independent assessment identifying the top advances in cancer care from the past year

Participation in QOPI Data Collection Process Hits Record High
ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative received more than 22,000 patient charts from 243 oncology practices in its Fall 2009 data collection process.

ASCO Provides Priorities to NIH Director
On October 26, ASCO sent a letter to the director of NIH urging continued collaboration around ASCO priorities to support cancer research.

FTC Announces Red Flags Rule Delay
The Federal Trade Commission has delayed the compliance deadline of the Red Flags Rule until June 1, 2010.

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CMS Releases 2010 Physician Fee Schedule
On October 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final 2010 physician fee schedule that includes a 1 percent reduction for oncology services for 2010. Oncology will still be subject to a 6 percent total cut that will be phased in over four years. This is less drastic than the 6 percent cut for 2010 that CMS included in its proposed fee schedule, however, ASCO is concerned about any cuts to oncology and will be working to mitigate those cuts in the coming months.

ASCO sent out a Member Alert November 4, highlighting some of the key components of the fee schedule that affect oncology practices. ASCO will continue to provide detailed information of the overall impact on oncology in 2010 and future years. As we analyze all the elements of the fee schedule, we will provide you with complete details on the changes affecting oncologists and their practices.

For more information, contact ASCO's Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department at 571-483-1670 or publicpolicy@asco.org.

Update on Status of Health Care Reform Legislation
After months of debate, on November 7 the U.S. House of Representatives passed by a vote of 220-215 the Affordable Health Care for America Act, a trillion-dollar health reform package to provide insurance coverage to most Americans.

Congressional budget analysts say the package could provide health care coverage to an additional 36 million Americans. Under the legislation, private insurers could no longer deny coverage based on preexisting conditions, place lifetime limits on coverage, or cease coverage of individuals when they become ill.

The Senate is expected to consider its measure later this year, although the vote may slip into 2010. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is still waiting for a Congressional Budget Office score of the merged Finance and Health, Education, and Labor Committee bills.

Following a recess this week, the House is expected to open up debate for legislation to fix the sustainable growth rate (SGR). The proposed legislation (H.R.3961) replaces the SGR formula with an annual payment increase equal to 1 percent more than the growth of the gross domestic product. For primary and preventative care, the reimbursement would be 2 percent more than the GDP.  Please contact your Representative and ask them to vote yes on H.R.3961.

ASCO will continue to keep you informed on the status of health care legislation.

For more information, contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department at 571-483-1670 or publicpolicy@asco.org.

ASCO Releases Annual Progress Report on Top Cancer Research Advances
Today ASCO released its award-winning report, Clinical Cancer Advances 2009: Major Research Advances in Cancer Treatment, Prevention and Screening, an independent assessment identifying 51 of the most significant clinical cancer research studies, including 15 that are considered major advances.

The report, published online today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, features studies that represent major advances in cancer prevention, screening, treatment and quality of life.

The report also highlights ASCO’s recommendations for accelerating the pace of progress against cancer by increasing funding for cancer research, increasing adult patient participation in clinical trials, and expanding access to high-quality care for everyone diagnosed with the disease.

Clinical Cancer Advances was developed under the guidance of an 18-person editorial board of oncologists, including specialist editors for each of the disease- and issue-specific sections. For more information, contact ASCO’s Communications Department at 571-483-1355.

Participation in QOPI Data Collection Process Hits Record High
More than 300 individual reporting sites in 240 oncology practices submitted abstracted data from a record number of patient charts – more than 22,000 – for the Fall 2009 Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) data collection process. Oncology practices that meet scoring requirements in a subset of the QOPI measures will be able to apply to participate in the QOPI Certification program, which is starting in January 2010.

QOPI’s goal is to promote excellence in cancer care by helping oncologists create a culture of self-examination and improvement. The QOPI program enables oncology practices to obtain reliable data about the quality of care they provide to their patients, including adherence to clinical practice treatment guidelines.

Participation in the QOPI data collection process is the first step that practices can take to achieve QOPI Certification. QOPI Certification promotes the highest quality cancer care as defined by the clinician experts and provides a trusted solution to satisfy the external demands for quality activities

For more information about QOPI, contact the QOPI Help Desk at 571-483-1660 or qopi@asco.org.  For questions regarding the Certification Program, e-mail qopicertification@asco.org.

ASCO Provides Priorities to NIH Director
In response to a request from National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins MD, PhD, ASCO sent a letter to the Agency, outlining its cancer research priorities and urging increased NIH support in the following four areas:

• NCI-Funded Clinical Trials: The average per-patient cost of conducting a clinical trial is $6,000, but NCI’s current per-patient reimbursement rate is only $2,000. ASCO urges NIH to reevaluate its per-case reimbursement and strengthen the infrastructure that supports this important research area.
  
• Innovative Training Methods: The next generation of oncologists and the current workforce will be increasingly challenged to keep pace with the rapid pace of changes to cancer treatments and the anticipated growth in demand for clinical care. ASCO encourages NIH to enhance innovative training methods that promote development of clinical researchers and increase accessibility to evidence-based education.
  
• Biospecimen Collection: While NCI is a leader in developing standards for biospecimen collection and storage, its efforts to collect specimens depend on adequate compensation not only for specimen collection and storage. NCI’s Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimens (OBBR) is beginning to address these issues in partnership with the NCI Community Cancer Center Program sites, and ASCO urges continued expansion of these efforts.
• Transforming the Pipeline: ASCO urges NIH and NCI to continue to promote collaborations among industry, the investigator community and government to advance novel and marketed agents and devices. These partnerships must recognize the value contributed by publicly funded clinical trials, preserve scientific inquiry and protect the intellectual property of all involved. ASCO is eager to work with NIH and NCI to support cancer research and is identifying opportunities for partnership.

For more information, contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department at 571-483-1670 or email publicpolicy@asco.org.

FTC Announces Red Flags Rule Delay
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has postponed the compliance deadline for its Red Flags Rule until June 1, 2010. The rule requires certain businesses and organizations to spot and heed the “red flags” that can be the signs of identity theft.

FTC continues to assert that the Red Flags Rule applies to physicians and other health care providers. The Agency is delaying enforcement of the rule in order to allow more time to develop written policies and prevention programs.

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News and Notes
Participate in QOPI and the QOPI Certification Program
ASCO’s QOPI® Certification Program will certify oncology practices that achieve rigorous, oncologist-defined standards for high-quality cancer care. Details about the Certification Program, including a participation guide and introductory presentation, are now available online. Visit http://qopi.asco.org/certification or email qopicertification@asco.org for more information.

Practical Tips for the Oncology Practice Available
Practical Tips for the Oncology Practice, 5th Edition is the premier resource for oncology practices. This publication provides guidelines on coding, billing and coverage of oncology-related services and outlines the laws and regulations that affect an oncology practice. Practical Tips contains explanations of many Medicare initiatives and provides excerpts from Medicare manuals. This resource is a must-have for oncology practices. Order yours today by visiting http://www.asco.org/practicaltips or by calling ASCO’s Customer Service hotline at 888-273-3508.

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 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.