Community Oncology Alliance

“Quality” and “value” have been used as buzzwords for decades in cancer care and there remains a lack of alignment and consensus on what that truly means. That's why COA is proud to release our Quality and Value Standards. The Standards serve as a foundation for oncology practices who want to ensure the provision of high-quality care, participate in certification programs, and discuss & demonstrate what quality care is with patients, employers, and other payers. Learn more about COA’s Quality and Value Standards for cancer care: https://bit.ly/4dUhPdr #CancerCare #CommunityOncology

Highlighting Dayton Physicians Network (DPN), a COA Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN) chapter that delivers patient-centered care in Southwest Ohio. CPAN’s support helps practices like DPN blend connection, advocacy, and quality care to provide the care and treatment patients need, want, and deserve. CPAN provides advocates with resources and tools to gain a deep understanding of policies that hurt independent community oncology patients and practices. DPN staff have been able to advocate on Capitol Hill, host CPAN practice-education events, and more. Learn more and how to get involved with CPAN: https://bit.ly/4dUjKi4 #CancerCare

Today, we kicked off our 15th annual Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform. This year’s?agenda will?cover many hot-button topics in cancer care, including employer strategies for managing pharmacy benefit manager relationships, the challenges of value-based insurance design, navigating high-cost cell therapies, and the benefits of direct contracting #PES2024 #CommunityOncology?#CancerPolicy?#CancerCare?#PBMs https://lnkd.in/gMxeMUtH

COA has submitted responses to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding the proposed 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rules. The rules continue to cut reimbursement for independent community oncology practices and increase hospital reimbursement, a trend that directly fuels practice closures, consolidation, and higher prices for patients.? ? COA will continue to advocate for policies that support independent community oncology and work with CMS to update these policies before they are finalized.? ? #CommunityOncology #CMS https://lnkd.in/eyzk2QkQ

Patients, physicians, and pharmacy team members deal with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—middlemen who unnecessarily delay or deny medication—daily. Why should PBMs control if patients with cancer get the treatment their care teams prescribe? Soon after giving birth, a young mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent radiation, chemotherapy, and a full mastectomy. A checkup revealed that the cancer had spread throughout her body and the doctor immediately prescribed medication delivered to her home. What happened next? The PBM-mandated pharmacy delayed medication for over two months, because of an algorithm that overrode her doctor’s prescribed dosage. Despite the doctor’s repeated efforts to explain the treatment plan, the PBM rejected the request. In an unprecedented act of generosity, ?the patient’s nurses and doctor personally footed the bill. Three months after the initial request, the PBM approved partial chemotherapy treatment. It shouldn’t come to the generosity of a care team to get a new mom the treatment she needed. Read how PBMs are hurting patients: https://bit.ly/4fZcJOz #PBM?

Hear from Harsha V., CEO and president of Cancer Center of Middle Georgia, LLC, and COA’s Rose Gerber, MS as they discuss cancer care for rural patients. This CPAN Advocacy Chat covers the unique landscape independent practices navigate in rural settings, ranging from ensuring patients have complete access to needed care to attracting staff to bringing clinical trials to rural settings. Register and join CPAN on Sept. 18: https://bit.ly/4dCPhVY ????? #CancerCare #CommunityOncology

Community oncology physicians and pharmacists need real-time data to track practice performance. COAnalyzer offers practice reports on 1,100+ benchmarked performance measures to help stay ahead of the curve. Set up a free account to access real-time data to compare to other independent practices: https://bit.ly/3TnGeAf #CommunityOncology

During cancer treatment, Betty Apt learned her oncology practice was bought by a hospital. She faced a choice: travel 60 miles round trip to continue seeing her oncologist or find the high-quality care she needed close to home. As a new patient at Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers, Betty found exactly what she was looking for and felt inspired to advocate for community oncology through the COA Patient Advocacy Network. Watch Betty’s story in the latest Faces of Community Oncology feature: https://bit.ly/4cSaeuZ #CommunityOncology

This month's COA newsletter brings you up to date on all of our activities from the first half of the year, provides resources to change laws restricting cancer care delivery in your community, and preps you for all of COA's upcoming events. Want to receive the newsletter directly in your inbox? Visit www.communityoncology.org and sign up using the form at the bottom of the home page. #CommunityOncology https://conta.cc/3yZyVHL

Breaking news: Chairman James Comer has requested that the CEOs of the three major #PBMs correct their testimonies made before the House Oversight Committee on the role of PBMs in prescription drug Markets last month. ? Kudos to the Congressman. We must continue placing the pressure on these PBM middlemen who interfere with cancer care! ? https://lnkd.in/gQgvYE-A?