Dr Michael Diaz on How a Delay to an OCM Successor Will Benefit Practices

"We want to make sure practices have time to learn, understand, adapt, and modify, to a new Oncology Care Model," said Michael Diaz, MD, president of Community Oncology Alliance.

Transcript:

Community Oncology Alliance (COA) recommended delaying the start of Oncology Care Model's (OCM's) successor model. How will having more time in the OCM benefit practices?

Well, there are several reasons. First of all, 2021 is less than a year away, and we don't have details on this new model. In order to have practices evolve, change, and implement new processes—and I think that's one of the key things here — there are a lot of new fundamental components that are different than the Oncology Care Model. We want to make sure that practices have adequate time to learn, understand, adapt, and modify. We're wanting to extend the Oncology Care Model in essence, to actually delay the initiation of the Oncology [Care] First model. That's the most important thing.

Some people will say, "Well, why can't you just complete the Oncology Care Model, delay the Oncology Care First model 6 months to a year?" Well, all the practices already had this Infrastructure set up for this type of system process. We have care coordinators, we have layers and layers of new systems that we've developed to be able to participate in these value-based care models, these alternative payment models. Without participating in a model, you can't keep and maintain your fundamental infrastructure. The majority of the practices, we feel, would experience some financial hardships trying to maintain those components of their practice if they're not participating in them all. We just think that it would help ease a transition.

Another more significant reason has to do with the fact that the Oncology Care First model, when you start in it, right now, the way it's designed, you start off in a 2-sided risk. We would like for as many community oncology practices to be able to participate in this, and not all are participating in the 2-sided risk of the Oncology Care Model. We just think a delay would allow more time to allow more practices to evolve to be able to participate