Share

    


In This Section

Home / News & Media / Oncology Newsfeed

Oncology Newsfeed

  • CMS Issues Final Rule on CY2019 Policy Changes and Updates to MA, Part D

    On April 2, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule to update Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Part D prescription drug benefit program. Included in the final rule, among additional changes, are:

    • Codifying the methodology of Star Ratings for Part C and D programs
    • Revising regulations that control maximum out-of-pocket and cost-sharing limits
    • Limiting the Part D special enrollment period for dual or other LIS-eligible beneficiaries
    • Changing the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period
    Read a CMS fact sheet that provides details on the major provisions of the final rule.


    Posted 4/3/2018



  • FDA Approves Blinatumomab for B-Cell Precursor ALL with MRD

    On March 29, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to blinatumomab (Blincyto, Amgen Inc.) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first or second complete remission with minimal residual disease (MRD) greater than or equal to 0.1%.

    Read FDA announcement.

    Posted 3/29/2018


  • CMS Extends MIPS 2017 Data Submission Deadline to April 3

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced that eligible clinicians participating in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) now have until Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at 8 PM EDT to submit their 2017 MIPS performance data. Eligible clinicans can submit their performance data using the new feature on the Quality Payment Program website.

    Note: For groups that missed the March 16 CMS Web Interface data submission deadline, it’s not too late to submit your data through another mechanism.

    How to Get Started
    Go to qpp.cms.gov and click on “sign in” on the top right side of the web page. 

    • Log into the Quality Payment Program data submission feature using your Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) credentials user name and password. If you don’t have an EIDM account, you’ll need to obtain one. Review this EIDM user guide and get started with the process as soon as possible. Currently, you should allow at least 5 business days for EIDM requests to be processed.
    • After logging in, the feature will connect you to the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) associated with your National Provider Identifier (NPI).
    • You’ll be able to report data either as an individual or as a group. Be sure to login and get familiar with the feature before you submit your data.

    For questions or help using the data submission feature, contact the Quality Payment Program by email at qpp@cms.hhs.gov or toll free at 1-866-288-8292.  

    View the data submission fact sheet and this video to learn more about the Quality Payment Program data submission feature.

    Posted 3/29/18



  • FDA Approves Nilotinib for Pediatric CML

    On March 22, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nilotinib (Tasigna, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation) for pediatric patients 1 year of age or older with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase (Ph+ CML-CP) or Ph+ CML-CP resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.

    Read FDA announcement.

    Posted 3/23/2018


  • USPSTF Issues Recommendation on Skin Cancer Prevention

    The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its final recommendation statement on behavioral counseling to prevent skin cancer. The task force recommends counseling young adults, adolescents, children, and parents of young children about minimizing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation for persons aged 6 months to 24 years with fair skin types to reduce their risk of skin cancer. The USPSTF recommendation comes with B grade.

    Read the recommendation here.

    Read the full article published March 20, 2018, in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

    Posted 3/21/18



  • CMS's OCM Team to Host May 3 Public Forum

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the Oncology Care Model team will host a public forum for stakeholders on Thursday, May 3 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT.  All interested OCM stakeholders are invited to attend this public meeting, with the goal of hearing feedback about OCM. The meeting will include a brief introduction from the OCM team followed by discussion.

    Registrants will be sent an agenda  one week prior to the meeting that will include compiled topics submitted via the text field in the registration form.

    Attendees may attend virtually or in-person at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Central Office located at 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244.

    Registration for in-person attendance will close at 5:00 PM EDT on April 26, 2018. Virtual registration will remain open until 1:00 PM EDT on Thursday May 3. Virtual attendees will receive call-in information in the registration confirmation email.

    Additional information, including access to the registration link, is available on the Oncology Care Model - Stakeholder Feedback Public Forum web page.

    Posted 3/20/2018



  • FDA Approves Adcetris Combined with Chemotherapy for First-Line Treatment of Stage III or IV Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

    On March 20, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) to treat adult patients with previously untreated stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) in combination with chemotherapy.

    Read the FDA announcement.

    Posted 3/20/2018


  • President's Cancer Panel Urges Collaboration to Better Align Drug Prices with Value

    A report from the President's Cancer Panel released March 13 calls on stakeholders from all segments of oncology to join together to "maximize the value and affordability of cancer drug treatment" while continuing to support investment in research to propel future innovations.

    "Cancer patients should not have to choose between paying for their medications or paying their mortgages. For so many, it is truly a matter of life and death," said Barbara K. Rimer, DrPH, chair of the President's Cancer Panel, in a statement. "This is a national imperative that will not be solved by any one sector working alone."

    The report, Promoting Value, Affordability, and Innovation in Cancer Drug Treatment, urges action informed by three guiding principles:

    • Cancer drug prices should be aligned with their value to patients;
    • All patients should have affordable access to appropriate cancer drugs; and
    • Investments in science are essential to drive future innovation.

    The President's Cancer Panel, established by the National Cancer Act of 1971, is an independent entity charged with monitoring the National Cancer Program and reporting to the President on any barriers to its execution. Learn more about the Panel's role and members.

    Read the Executive Summary.
    Read the Recommendations at a Glance.

    Posted 3/13/18


  • ASTRO Issues Clinical Guideline for WBRT

    The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today issued a new clinical guideline for the use of whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT) for breast cancer that expands the population of patients recommended to receive accelerated treatment known as hypofractionated therapy.

    Reflecting current evidence from clinical trials and large cohort studies, the new guideline recommends hypofractionated WBI for breast cancer patients regardless of age, tumor stage, and whether they have received chemotherapy.

    The guideline provides clinical guidance for dosing, planning and delivering whole breast irradiation (WBI) with or without an additional "boost" of radiation therapy to the tumor bed. Full recommendations and supporting evidence are provided in the guideline.

    Read the ASTRO press release.

    Posted 3/13/18


  • Trump Administration Announces MyHealthEData Initiative

    Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma has announced the administration's new MyHealthEData, an initiative that aims to give Americans more complete access to their healthcare data. She made the announcement in an address on March 6, 2018, at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference in Las Vegas. The government-wide initiative is being led by the White House Office of American Innovation with participation from the Department of Health and Human Services, including CMS; Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC); the National Institutes of Health; and the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

    As part of MyHealthEData announcement, CMS also announced that the agency intends to "overhaul" the EHR Incentive Programs to "refocus the programs on interoperability and to reduce the time and cost required" for providers to meet requirements. 

    In her remarks, Administrator Verma also described Medicare's Blue Button 2.0 - a tool that would allow Medicare beneficiaries to access and their personal health data in a "universal digital format."  

    As part of this initiative, the administration is also calling on healthcare insurers to follow suit and give patients access to their claims data in a digital format. 

    The administration is still developing a timeline for the initiative, Verma said in an interview with Bloomberg BNA. 

    Read the CMS press release.
    Read the CMS fact sheet. 

    Posted 3/7/18