Oncology

With the expansion, UnitedHealthcare will bring 5 more oncology practices on board to participate in its bundled program, which will grow the program to 650 oncologists across 7 states.

Although there have been a number of new value calculators created recently, UnitedHealthcare does not plan to use any just now. Instead, it will continue covering regimens recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and in a few years the company will use data from its prior authorization tool to analyze performance of regimens, explained Lee Newcomer, MD, MHA, senior vice president, Oncology, Genetics and Women's Health, UnitedHealthcare.

The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) created its Payer Exchange Summit to get payers who are thinking about getting involved in oncology payment reform or want to know what to do exposed to successful pilots, explained Ted Okon, MBA, executive director of COA.

On November 3, at 11 a.m. EST, the president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology will host a tweetchat with The American Journal of Managed Care. Get a preview of Dr. Julie Vose's speech at Patient-Centered Oncology Care.

At the Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance, Daniel McKellar, MD, who chairs the Commission on Cancer, insisted on meaningful feedback from the community to ensure adequate transformation of practices into a medical home.

More states cover all recommended evidence-based treatments, although many require copayments or put annual limits on care.

Olaparib, a PARP inhibitor approved for treating BRCA1/2-mutated ovarian cancer, has been found effective in treating men with metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

The drug significantly delayed recurrence of the cancer in patients treated post surgery.

Payer—provider teams presented updates on their cost-saving pilot projects and looked to the future of these models in oncology care.

The company says the treatment will cost an average of $65,000.

The ASCO statement emphasizes patient-centered reform that weighs-in the value of the services rendered.