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ASCO Calls on Congress to Fix Flawed Medicare Payment System
One year ago, ASCO was engaged in an all too familiar exercise: working around the clock to prevent scheduled cuts in Medicare physician payments. If implemented, these cuts would have reduced access to care for many older and disabled Americans. Congress responded with another patch, or temporary fix to avert the harmful cuts.
This has been a steady pattern since 2002, as Congress has had to step in numerous times to avert cuts resulting from the Sustainable Growth Rate—a formula that severely underestimates the costs of treating Medicare patients. Unless Congress steps in again, the formula will result in a 27.4 percent cut to reimbursement rates for 2012. President Obama has proposed to freeze payments at 2011 levels for two years to allow for development of a permanent fix.
A significant cut to Medicare payments as a result of the SGR would create barriers to care for cancer patients by forcing many community-based oncology practices—already grappling with previous Medicare cuts and increased administrative burdens—to limit their services or close altogether.
Read the full article at: http://tinyurl.com/7538yg8
Source: ASCO
Legal Navigation Services Key to Addressing Disparities in Cancer Care
July 31st 2025A significant number of patients with cancer, caregivers, and health care professionals face significant disparities in legal issues, with the most common needs revolving around health insurance, finances, employment, and disability insurance.
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Exploring Racial, Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Care Prior Authorization Decisions
October 24th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the author of a study published in the October 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® that explored prior authorization decisions in cancer care by race and ethnicity for commercially insured patients.
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It Take a Village in Cancer Care: A Q&A With David Nguyen, MD
July 23rd 2025David Nguyen, MD, medical oncologist with Tufts Medicine and Lowell General Hospital, discusses the evolving landscape of advanced cancer treatments like chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy and bispecific antibodies
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