The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for community oncology practices and, most importantly, the patients they serve. The mission of COA is to ensure that cancer patients receive quality, affordable, and accessible cancer care in their own communities. More than 1.5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each year and deaths from the disease have been steadily declining due to earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment.
Judith Alberto: COA Takes on Congress, Addresses Change Healthcare Cyberattack
April 18th 2024Judith Alberto, MHA, RPh, BCOP, director of clinical initiatives at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), discusses upcoming policy initiatives and the current oncology landscape amid a health care cyberattack.
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Oncology Practices Keep Pace With PBMs, in Court and Beyond
April 5th 2024This panel at the Community Oncology Alliance conference discussed the impact of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) response to the end of direct and indirect remuneration fees, which has been dramatic cuts to cancer drug reimbursement.
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Kathy Oubre on Navigating the Aftermath of the Change Healthcare Cyberattack
April 5th 2024Kathy Oubre, MS, CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, is 1 of 6 cochairs for the 2024 Community Oncology Conference, and here she discusses how meeting content has incorporated ongoing coverage of the extremely disruptive cyberattack and how there is still so much work to be done.
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Jon Levitt Highlights Urgency for Stronger Employer Oversight of PBMs
April 5th 2024Jonathan E. Levitt, Esq, founding partner of boutique health care law firm Frier Levitt, LLC, discusses a recent class-action lawsuit brought against Johnson & Johnson in which an employee alleged a breach of fiduciary duty regarding her employer-sponsored pharmacy benefits.
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2024 COA Community Oncology Conference Preview With Dr Emily Touloukian
April 1st 2024With the 2024 Community Oncology Conference, from the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), set to kick off this week in Orlando, Florida, The American Journal of Managed Care® spoke with Emily Touloukian, DO, COA board member and 1 of 6 cochairs for this year’s meeting, on highlights from the packed agenda and the power of advocacy.
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COA Asks CMS to Resolve Express Scripts’ “Underwater” Payments Following End of DIR Fees
February 27th 2024The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), which represents independent cancer care practices, has asked CMS to act following a dramatic drop in reimbursements from Express Scripts, Inc. effective January 1, 2024.
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COA's Dr Miriam Atkins: PBMs, HR 5526, and Marketplace Strategy
February 7th 2024Miriam J. Atkins, MD, FACP, president of the Community Oncology Alliance, discusses the impact of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) on health care costs and offers potential ways to remedy certain CMS decisions that negatively affect oncologists and their patients.
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NAHCP’s Mike Thompson Highlights Crucial Strategies for Enhancing Employee Health and Equity
December 22nd 2023At this year’s Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform, leaders from across all facets of the cancer care space engaged in thought-provoking panel discussions and debates. They have a common aim: to optimize cancer care delivery and ensure patients have a positive experience throughout their cancer care journey.
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COA's Shiela Plasencia on Improving Patient Care in Marginalized Communities
December 20th 2023Join Shiela Plasencia, director of practice support, Community Oncology Alliance (COA) as she explores improving health treatments for marginalized communities and how to apply it to the oncology population.
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EOM Shows Awareness of Issues, but Provides No Resources, Says COA’s Nicolas Ferreyros
November 4th 2023The Enhancing Oncology Model is trying to address a number of the systemic challenges oncology faces without giving practices the tools and resources they need, said Nicolas Ferreyros, managing director of policy, advocacy, and communications, Community Oncology Alliance.
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Innovating Community Oncology Care Delivery and Payment Reform: Insights From COA’s Ted Okon
October 25th 2023Ted Okon, MBA, executive director, Community Oncology Alliance, discusses early returns from the Enhancing Oncology Model and how community oncology practices are innovating in ways that can expand into other areas of medicine.
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Confronting the Dynamics of Medicare Benefits When Those Eligible Are Still Working
October 24th 2023Community oncology practices are witnessing a new dynamic in which more Medicare-eligible patients are still covered by commercial insurance, according to speakers at the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit, held October 23-24, 2023.
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Dr Lalan Wilfong: Patients Deserve the Full Benefit of Everything We Can Provide
October 23rd 2023At the 2023 COA Payer Exchange Summit being held October 23-24 in Reston, Virginia, Lalan Wilfong, MD, US Oncology Network, emphasizes the importance of oncology care equity, ensuring continuity of care, and enhancing care coordination.
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Collaboration Is Key to Success in Alternative Payment Models, Says COA’s Nick Ferreyros
September 27th 2023The number one ingredient that an oncology-based alternative payment model needs to succeed is collaboration, explained Nicolas Ferreyros, managing director of policy, advocacy, and communications, Community Oncology Alliance (COA).
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