November Newsletter: BBB is Broken for Cancer | Registration now open for #COA2022

Published On: December 3rd, 2021Categories: COA Newsletters

Build Back Better Act is Broken for Cancer Patients
Congress Must Fix the BBB Before It’s Too Late!

For Americans with cancer, building back better from the pandemic should improve local care – not destroy it, causing higher costs and less access to community cancer doctors.

But, with Congress on the verge of rushing through massive changes to Medicare in the Build Back Better (BBB) Act, an independent analysis from Avalere Health shows that payments to cancer providers will be slashed by close to 43%. The result will be higher costs for patients, increased taxpayer spending, and a broken cancer care system.

The problem lies in the fine print of the BBB that places oncologists in the middle of drug negotiations between manufacturers and the government. Fortunately, fixing the language is simple and preserves the drug negotiation goal while removing doctors and patients from the middle. Congress must fix Build Back Better before it is too late!

Send a message to Congress to fix the BBB at https://communityoncology.org/fixbuildbackbetter

Registration Open for 2022 Community Oncology Conference
Early Bird Pricing Available Until January 20!

It’s time to register for the 2022 Community Oncology Conference, and what better time to save money than the holiday season? Register by January 20 and qualified registrants can save 20 percent!

On March 17-18, 2022, the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is returning to Kissimmee, FL for the first in-person Community Oncology Conference since 2019. With world-class speakers and the latest agenda topics, this is a meeting you can’t afford to miss.

Take five minutes today and secure your place at the 2022 COA Conference – the value of community oncology shines through its members, and the path forward is waiting for you in Kissimmee.

COA Testifies Before Congress on PBM Abuses
Executive Director Ted Okon Joins Panel Before House Committee

On Wednesday, November 17, COA’s Executive Director Ted Okon and several other health care experts testified before a forum held by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) abuses and potential solutions.

Okon described the administrative hoops that PBMs subject patients and physicians to on a daily basis, including medication delays for critical drugs, implementation of “fail first” policies, denied coverage, and other abuses.

The forum, led by Rep. James Comer (R-KY), also asked the panel for solutions. Okon and other experts recommended increased transparency and reviews of potentially monopolistic actions by PBMs.

Watch the full Congressional PBM forum here (starts at the 21:43 mark).

COA Asks CMS and CMMI to Extend the Oncology Care Model
Lack of Successor Model Will Waste Money and Success of OCM

Earlier this month, COA asked the Federal government to extend the Oncology Care Model (OCM) until December 31, 2022.

In the letter to leadership at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), COA notes that beginning to wind down the OCM starting at the end of this year without any clear reasons, or a successor model, will waste millions of taxpayers’ dollars and the successes of participating practices in transforming cancer care for patients across the country.

The tremendous financial and resource investment in the OCM, and the dramatic successes of many independent community oncology practices participating in the OCM in enhancing patient cancer care while lowering treatment costs, should be clear reasons why the OCM should not be discontinued. Rather, the model should be refined and re-envisioned based on what is working, says the letter. These practice transformations have led to many new initiatives and arrangements with payers to enhance the quality of cancer care while lowering costs.

Read the full OCM letter on the COA website.