Weighing the cost-benefit ratio of proton radiation therapy, private and public payers are placing coverage limitations on the use of this treatment.
As proton cancer treatment centers expand, payers and providers may have to collaborate to expand the evidence base, to avoid the highly-expensive technology crowding out other investments.
The Midwest’s first proton beam cancer therapy center is closing its doors amid ongoing efficacy questions and financial struggles. At the advice of an outside review committee, Indiana University Health is closing its proton therapy center early next year, once the current roster of patients have completed treatment.
IU Health’s center was the nation’s third proton treatment facility and the Midwest’s first when it opened in 2004. It offered cancer patients the potential of more selective radiation treatment with fewer side effects, but ten years later, its clinical benefits remain unclear, its technology is slightly outdated and its finances seem unsustainable.
Read the complete article: http://bit.ly/1sYeOOB
Source: Healthcare Payer News
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.
Listen
Uniting to Support Patients With Cancer Beyond Treatment
November 17th 2024Kasey Bond, MPH, of Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, speaks to why it’s vital to keep patients at the center of all strategic partnerships between academic institutions and community-based oncology practices.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Bridging Cancer Care Gaps and Overcoming Medical Mistrust
November 13th 2024In this clip from our interview with Oscar B. Lahoud, MD, cochair of our Institute for Value-Based Medicine® evening hosted with NYU Langone Health, he addressed medical mistrust in underrepresented communities.
Read More
How English- and Spanish-Preferring Patients With Cancer Decide on Emergency Care
November 13th 2024Care delivery innovations to help patients with cancer avoid emergency department visits are underused. The authors interviewed English- and Spanish-preferring patients at 2 diverse health systems to understand why.
Read More