Katrina UpdateIn the days and weeks since Hurricane Katrina hit Gulf Coast communities, ASCO members have joined with the entire medical community to provide quality care for people with cancer and other medical conditions who have been devastated by the disaster.
In the immediate aftermath, ASCO worked quickly to establish resources for cancer patients and doctors who were displaced by the hurricane. These resources, available through ASCO’s website at
www.asco.org/katrina, were recently recognized in
USA Today and
The Philadelphia Inquirer.These articles highlight ASCO’s efforts and the community’s commitment to deliver quality cancer care in the midst of this disaster.
The community’s response to the events in the Gulf Coast region is a powerful reminder of why we are in the medical profession.On behalf of the entire organization, we thank you for every form of contribution that you have already made and continue to make.
ASCO Katrina ResourcesASCO Hurricane Katrina Message Board:www.asco.org/katrinaforum Oncology Practices Able to Care for Patients in Need:www.asco.org/ac/1,1003,_12-002144-00_18-0041946%20,00.asp NCI Operators Can Help Displaced Patients Find Alternate Providers:www.cancer.gov/katrinaLive assistance is available at 800-4-CANCER Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM, based on the callers' local time. Callers with TTY equipment may call 800-332-8615.ASCO/CancerCare Collaboration on Patient Support Services:www.cancercare.org/ ASCO Comments to CMS on the CAP Interim Final Rule
ASCO submitted
comments on CMS’s Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP) for Medicare Part B drugs and biologicals.CMS has temporarily delayed CAP program implementation and now expects the program to begin by July 1, 2006. The following are some key comments provided by ASCO on the CAP interim final rule:
- Patient Coinsurance: The rule currently permits vendors to terminate the provision of drugs for patients who have not paid their coinsurance within 45 days. ASCO has commented that CMS needs to protect access to drugs for cancer patients, making sure a middle ground is found between terminating the availability of the drugs and having the physician absorb the cost of the drug.
- Prohibition on Moving Drugs Between Offices: The interim final CAP rule prohibits physicians from transporting CAP drugs from one practice to another. Because oncologists, especially those in rural areas, often have satellite offices at which patients are treated intermittently (e.g., once a week), ASCO has commented to CMS that this prohibition should be removed.
- Administrative Costs:Physicians who participate in the CAP will incur significant administrative costs beyond those that would be incurred under the buy and bill system. Since program implementation has been delayed, ASCO has recommended that CMS commission a study to look at the extra administrative costs involved with CAP. ASCO has recommended that CMS use the results of such a study to determine whether an additional payment is appropriate to facilitate CAP enrollment.
- Patient Support Activity: CAP regulations require only that vendors have procedures to resolve "complaints" and "inquiries about drug shipments." ASCO has recommended that the regulations include specific requirements for vendors to maintain a mechanism, such as a call center, adequately staffed and available for extended hours to respond to all patient issues.
JOP Spotlight: September’s Journal of Oncology Practice – P4P ProgramsThis month’s issue of the
Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) highlights Pay for Performance issues, which are quickly defining the new era of quality cancer care. This issue of
JOP examines quality initiatives on both the national and local level. On the national level, CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, MD, has paid considerable attention to programs that measure and implement quality cancer care in oncology practices.
The Quality Cancer Care Demonstration project, which aims to reduce costs by avoiding hospitalization due to complications, incorporates the measurement of pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue into billing codes available to oncology practices. Another national initiative from the National Quality Forum (NQF) aims to standardize measurement of quality cancer care.
On the local level, ASCO’s own Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI), which Dr. McClellan has commended as a "model for quality innovation," is featured for its work helping oncologists improve care in their own practices. QOPI ultimately aims to help to create a culture of self-examination for oncology practices to review how they can improve the delivery of care to their patients. To read the full
JOP article, go to
www.jopasco.org.For more information on QOPI, contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department at 703-299-1050.
Legislative Update: House Resolution 261
Over the next few weeks, Congressional leaders will continue to focus their efforts on providing relief to states in the Gulf Coast region and the Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings.
ASCO is continuing to work with Representative Ralph Hall (R-TX) and other supporters in Congress to advance House Resolution 261, which urges CMS to continue the oncology demonstration project in 2006.We will continue to provide updates on timing and legislative action. ASCO’s Policy Team will continue to work closely with Congress and CMS in the coming weeks and months to ensure that extending the CMS oncology demonstration project is a priority.
Contact ASCO's Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department at 703-299-1050, or email
publicpolicy@asco.org with any questions.
News and Notes4th Quarter ASP Numbers ReleasedThis morning, CMS has posted its
4th-quarter ASP payment rates that will be effective October 1, 2005.
New CMS Resources CMS has developed a series of resources for physicians and their office staff as part of its Medicare Prescription Drug Outreach Effort. These new tools include PowerPoint presentations on the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage program, including a
comprehensive review for which providers may be able to earn continuing education credits and a
short presentation suitable for "Lunch and Learn" sessions, workshops, or as part of Grand Rounds.
CMS also offers a
provider tool kit with quick facts about the Part D drug benefit and general resources for physicians.Additional information about the new drug benefit is available on CMS’
website.
