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FDA Approves Two Liquid Biopsy Companion Diagnostics for Osimertinib
On August 7, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved FoundationOne® Liquid CDx and Guardant360® CDx as next generation sequencing based liquid biopsy companion diagnostics for osimertinib (Tagrisso®) for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test; and for patients with metastatic EGFR T790M mutation-positive NSCLC, as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease has progressed on or after EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.
See full prescribing information.
About FoundationOne® Liquid CDx.
About Guardant360® CDx.
Posted 9/24/2020
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CMS Releases RO Model Final Rule
On Friday, September 18, 2020 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for the Radiation Oncology (RO) Model. The RO Model seeks to improve the quality of care for cancer patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) and move toward a simplified and predictable payment system. The RO Model tests whether bundled, prospective, site neutral, modality agnostic, episode-based payments to physician group practices, hospital outpatient departments, and freestanding radiation therapy centers for RT episodes of care reduces Medicare expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. The RO Model has a five-year Model performance period that begins on January 1, 2021 and runs through December 31, 2025.
For additional information on the final rule and the model, please visit the radiation oncology website. The following resource documents about RO may also be helpful: Press Release, Fact Sheet, and Final Rule. For questions regarding the RO Model, please reach out to the RO Model Helpdesk by phone: 1.844.711.2664, option 5; or email: RadiationTherapy@cms.hhs.gov.
Posted 9/18/2020
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Sanofi Announces Permanent J-Code for Isatuximab-irfc
On October 1, 2020, the isatuximab-irfc (Sarclisa®, Sanofi Genzyme) healthcare common procedure coding system (HCPCS) level II J code (J9227) will be effective.
Read the one pager.
Posted 9/18/2020
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Lilly Announces Thyroid Cancer Testing Program
Lilly announces their Thyroid Cancer Testing Program designed to provide access to molecular testing for appropriate advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (“MTC”) patients 12 years of age and older who require systemic therapy; and advanced or metastatic non-medullary thyroid cancer (“non-MTC”) patients 12 years of age and older who are radioactive iodine-refractory (if radioactive iodine is appropriate).
Appropriate patients are eligible for one molecular test at no cost for the purpose of determining whether the patient has any actionable genetic alterations that may inform therapeutic decisions, without regard to purchase of any prescribed drug or any other product.*
No patient, healthcare program, payer, or beneficiary shall be billed for any test ordered pursuant to the Thyroid Cancer Testing Program.
Posted 9/16/2020
To request a test for your patient <and understand further requirements>, you may download the Thyroid Cancer Testing Program Test Request Form.
The Thyroid Cancer Testing Program is NOT available to New York State patients and facilities as the aforementioned NGS tests have not been approved by the New York State Department of Health.
Posted 9/16/2020
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CMS Issues FY2021 IPPS and LTCH Final Rule
On September 2, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) final rule, which includes important provisions designed to ensure access to potentially life-saving diagnostics and therapies for hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries. The changes will affect approximately 3,200 acute care hospitals and approximately 360 Long-Term Care Hospitals. CMS estimates that total Medicare spending on acute care inpatient hospital services will increase by about $3.5 billion in FY 2021, or 2.7 percent.
CMS’ rule creates a new Medicare Severity Diagnostic Related Group (MS-DRG) that provides a predictable payment to help adequately compensate hospitals for administering Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies.
Also in the final rule, CMS approved a record number of 24 new technology add-on payments, which is an additional payment to hospitals for cases involving eligible new and relatively high cost technologies. This will provide additional Medicare payment for these technologies while real-world evidence is emerging, giving Medicare beneficiaries timely access to the latest innovations.
Read the fact sheet and final rule from the Federal Register.
Posted 9/2/2020
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FDA Approves Azacitidine for AML Continued Treatment
On September 1, 2020 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Onureg® (azacitidine) for the continued treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who achieved first complete remission or complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery following intensive induction chemotherapy and are not able to complete intensive curative therapy.
Read the Bristol Myers Squibb announcement.
Read the FDA announcement.
Posted 9/2/2020
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NGS Alert for Pegfilgrastim Product Claims
This alert is for all hospital outpatient departments. Pegfilgrastim and biosimilars claims are denying in error due to an internal systems issue in Jurisdiction 6 and Jurisdiction K, Part A outpatient providers. National Government Services (NGS) is in the process of reviewing the cause of the errors and will determine the action it will take.
No provider action is necessary at this time, however, please continue to check the production alerts section of the NGS website and future email updates for additional information regarding this issue
If you have any questions, please contact NGS.
Posted 8/24/20
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FDA Approves Daratumumab + Carfilzomib and Dexamethasone for R/R MM
On August 20, 2020 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Darzalex® (daratumumab) in combination with Kyprolis® (carfilzomib) and dexamethasone (DKd) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma (MM) who have received one to three previous lines of therapy.
Read Janssen's announcement.
Read the FDA announcement.
Posted 8/21/2020
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CMS Releases CY 2021 OPPS and PFS Proposed Rules
On August 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Reimbursement (CMS) issued the calendar year (CY) 2021 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Proposed Rule (CMS-1736-P). ACCC and council are reviewing these proposed rules and will be providing comments.
Until this analysis is complete, read the proposed OPPS rule and the proposed PFS rule. Then register for ACCC’s August 14 webcast on The 2021 Proposed PFS and OPPS Rules: Practical Implications and Considerations to gain insight into how these proposed rules will affect your cancer program.
Posted 8/6/2020
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FDA Approves Tafasitamab-cxix + Lenalidomide for R/R DLBCL
On July 31, 2020 MorphoSys and Incyte announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Monjuvi® (tafasitamab-cxix) in combination with lenalidomide for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant.
Read corporate press release.
Read FDA announcement.
Posted 8/3/20