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ACCC Advocates on Capitol Hill

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Advocate

As community cancer care providers who experience first-hand the challenges of providing quality cancer care, ACCC members are the best positioned to educate decision-makers on how coverage and reimbursement issues affect community oncology.

ACCC provides members with the information and resources needed to effectively advocate on the issues that are important to them. Together, we can positively influence the future of community oncology.

Letters to Congress

Enhancing Oncology Model

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new, voluntary alternative payment model, the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM), that will allow ACCC programs to improve care coordination and health outcomes for patients, as well as deliver high-quality and affordable cancer care to the communities they serve.
Learn More

Cancer Moonshot

Read ACCC's history with the Cancer Moonshot initiative and how we plan to continue to support the White House through resources and tools on cancer prevention for underserved and marginalized patient populations.
Read More

Advocacy News Releases

Featured Programs

The ACCC Alternative Payment Model Coalition addresses concerns about lack of preparedness to perform under Alternative Payment Models, patient and provider access to the latest treatments, infrastructure, and long-term sustainability.

The Oncology State Societies at ACCC Advocacy Engagement Pilot will establish a policy communication and learning infrastructure in nine states—Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin—to address pressing policy issues that impact patient care and provider access. This work will focus on legislative efforts, standards of care, and health equity.

White Bagging

The Association of Community Cancer Centers and its Chapter Members from the Oncology State Societies at ACCC have developed resources for cancer care professionals to learn about the practice of white bagging, its deleterious effects on patient care, and how to take action against it.
View Resources

CMS Releases CY 2023 Medicare Payment Final Rules

On November 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rules, finalizing the agency's new reimbursement policies taking effect January 1, 2023. ACCC will host a virtual in-depth review of these final rules and their anticipated impact on oncology programs and practices as part of our 2022 Oncology Reimbursement Meetings. Register for the upcoming webinar on December 13 and view the final rules and their corresponding CMS fact sheets below:
Webinar Registration

CY 2023 Medicare Payment Resource

This member-exclusive resource provides a high-level summary of Medicare coding and reimbursement policies finalized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in its calendar year (CY) 2023 rulemaking cycle. Highlights include Medicare policy changes included in the CY 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) final rules, including updates to the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP).

Download Resource (Member Login Required)

CY 2023 Medicare Proposed Rules Announced

On-Demand Webinar: The 2023 Medicare PFS and OPPS Proposed Rules: What You Need to Know

Learn about the key proposals in the CY 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rules and how these proposed changes to Medicare payment will impact oncology practices, freestanding cancer centers, and hospital-based cancer programs in 2023. There will be an opportunity for live Q&A.

Speakers: 
Teri Bedard, BA, RT(R)(T), CPC
Executive Director, Client & Corporate Resources
Revenue Cycle Coding Strategies, Inc

Matt Devino, MPH
Director, Cancer Care Delivery and Health Policy
Association of Community Cancer Centers
View On-Demand Recording

 

On July 7, CMS issued the (CY) 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule, which would significantly expand access to behavioral health services, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), cancer screening, and dental care—particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Read the Letter  Fact Sheet

On July 15, CMS issues the (CY) 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule. In addition to proposing payment rates, this year’s rule includes proposals that align with several key goals of the Administration, including advancing health equity in rural areas, promoting competition in the health care system, and promoting safe, effective, and patient-centered care. The proposed rule would further the agency’s commitment to strengthening Medicare and use the lessons learned from the COVID-19 PHE to inform the approach to quality measurement.
Read the Letter  Federal Register Download

 

ACCC Principles for Drug, Diagnostics, and Biomarker Reimbursement

ACCC believes that to improve the current treatment options available for patients at the lowest cost without decreasing access to care, the following four principles should be taken into consideration.

Any proposed changes in reimbursement for drugs, diagnostics, and biomarker testing should decrease health inequities and not negatively impact the ability of cancer programs and practices to provide necessary supportive care services for potentially disadvantaged patients.
Read the Principles

Cancer Buzz Podcasts

  • Live from NOC: ACCC Priorities for the President’s Cancer Panel - [MINI PODCAST]
    Oct 10, 2023

    ACCC was invited to share the association’s key priorities for impacting cancer care in the US. ACCC president Olalekan Ajayi, PharmD, MBA, and chief operating officer at Highlands Oncology Group, PA, discusses the meeting and these initiatives.

  • Combatting Caregiver Isolation Through Awareness and Education — [MINI PODCAST] EP 130
    Aug 29, 2023

    "Many caregivers have it together, they’re on top of everything. They are organized, they are experts at this, but they are falling apart inside. You aren’t going to know if you don’t ask."

  • Pharmacy Benefit Managers: How Advocacy Led to Action [PODCAST] Ep 85
    Jun 28, 2022

    Listen to ACCC's Matt Devino and President of the Empire State Hematology & Oncology Society, Rahul Seth, DO, discuss why every voice is critical in grassroots advocacy efforts on both the federal and state level, and how cancer professionals who moonlight as patient advocates can help improve access to care and reduce financial toxicity for people living with cancer.

  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 79: State Advocacy Matters
    Mar 22, 2022

    Learn how state oncology societies have the power to mobilize larger groups of providers across the state to make their voices heard on behalf of their patients—and how you can get involved.   

  • [PODCAST] Ep 73: Biomarker Testing Advocacy
    Dec 7, 2021

    Biomarker testing is crucial to precision medicine, but barriers still exist. Learn from two healthcare advocates about recent policy changes designed to ensure better access to biomarker testing.

  • [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 72: Genetic Counseling Advocacy
    Nov 30, 2021

    Hear from Colleen Campbell, PhD, MS, LGC, as she explains policy changes that can help patients access genetic counseling services, while also benefiting those who provide these services. 

  • [PODCAST] Ep 56: What Comes Next for Telehealth?
    Apr 27, 2021

    We'll discuss the telehealth regulatory and policy changes enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, what may change in 2021, and what’s likely to remain the same regarding the reimbursement of remote care. 

FROM THE ACCCBUZZ BLOG

  • An Update on Healthcare Legislation at the State Level
    By Christian G. Downs, MHA, JD
    March 22, 2023
    If you are looking for legislative action, look no further than your state's legislatures. Most—if not all—states have had issues relating to oncology care and healthcare in general come up during their 2023 sessions.
  • ACCC Announces its 2023 Advocacy Agenda
    March 07, 2023
    For 2023, ACCC members have identified four core areas of focus (e.g., reimbursement, utilization management, provider-patient choice), among a larger set of issues and concerns, that the association will be supporting this year.
  • ACCC Recognizes National Caregivers Day: Analyzing a Mental Health Crisis
    February 17, 2023
    Today is National Caregivers Day, and ACCCBuzz analyzes the current mental health crisis that is affecting the caregivers of loved ones everywhere.