US Oncology Network

Angela Storseth-Cooper, associate director, Government Relations & Public Policy, The US Oncology Network, discusses state-level legislation that community oncology practices can leverage to address issues involving pharmacy benefit managers and the vertical integration of health plans and specialty pharmacies.

Lalan Wilfong, MD, vice president of Payer Relations & Practice Transformation at The US Oncology Network, speaks on how use of health economics and outcomes research has benefitted patient care in the community oncology setting and where it can be further leveraged in the pursuit of value-based care.

The first in-person Community Oncology Alliance (COA) meeting in 2 years will feature sessions on practice management, health disparities, and more. A virtual option is available.

The panel said the prior authorization system was intended not just to make sure treatments are necessary but also to ensure that practices get paid; however, it needs a lot of work.

How Value-based Care Is Changing Radiation Oncology for the Better

Studies have shown that administering trilaciclib prior to chemotherapy can reduce myelosuppression and improve health-related quality of life. Jerome Goldschmidt, MD, said future studies will look at how it interacts with immunotherapy.

Coverage from the 2021 COA Payer Exchange Summit.

Marcus Neubauer, MD, chief medical officer, The US Oncology Network. He is an expert in precision medicine, value-based care, and clinical pathways.

Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, of Texas Oncology, and Lucio Gordan, MD, of Florida Cancer Specialists, MD, presented data from a study they conducted in partnership with the Community Oncology Alliance and Avalere Health.

The discussion, "Remote Patient Monitoring: Case Studies From the Front Lines,” explored real-world experiences with technology that has taken on greater heft as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect health care delivery.

A report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation confirmed that practices within the US Oncology Network and Tennessee Oncology participating in the Oncology Care Model (OCM) program have contributed significant savings to the agency.

The Oncology Care Model (OCM) was a great program that led to practice transformation and improved patient care, but there needs to be a way to address the high cost of cancer therapies, said Marcus Neubauer, MD, chief medical officer of the US Oncology Network.

Experts who took part in Patient-Centered Oncology Care® 2021 said when guidelines recommend high-cost targeted therapies or immunotherapies, the focus must turn to areas such as imaging, diagnostic tests, and other elements that contribute to the cost of care.

With the Oncology Care Model (OCM) slated to end in 2022, the successor model is still not in place. According to panelists, there is likely going to be a gap after OCM ends and the new model begins, but more importantly, practices should prepare for the new model to be mandatory.

DOI: 10.37765/ajmc.2021.88735

Biomarker testing and remote patient monitoring are just 2 areas of research presented during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

In the inaugural Oncology Value Coalition from The American Journal of Managed Care®, Kashyap Patel, MD, led a discussion with Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA; and Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, exploring findings that suggest minority groups develop cancer at higher rates and experience worse outcomes than nonminority groups.

In the inaugural Oncology Value Coalition from The American Journal of Managed Care®, Kashyap Patel, MD, led a discussion with Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA; and Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, exploring findings that suggest minority groups develop cancer at higher rates and experience worse outcomes than nonminority groups.

In the inaugural Oncology Value Coalition from The American Journal of Managed Care®, Kashyap Patel, MD, led a discussion with Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA; and Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, exploring findings that suggest minority groups develop cancer at higher rates and experience worse outcomes than nonminority groups.

Lalan Wilfong, MD, executive vice president, Value Based Care & Quality Programs, Texas Oncology, and co-chair, Payment Reform, Community Oncology Alliance, discusses implications of quality metrics in cancer care and what perspectives on the topic he is looking forward to hearing at the 2021 Community Oncology Conference.

The US Oncology Network continues its rapid growth and enhances surgical expertise with addition of physicians from Texas Colon & Rectal Specialists as a part of Texas Oncology

Texas Oncology physicians discuss utilization of telemedicine, evaluating trends, barriers, and opportunities in care delivery during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

In today's managed care environment, it is important that contracts between practices and payers include reciprocal language that affords a practice protection over processes, decisions, and changes to the agreement over time, while aligning with its business operation.

The Network enrolled its 100,000th patient in the Oncology Care Model (OCM) recently, and its practices are finding success in the complicated model.

The US Oncology Network reached a major milestone recently in its journey to provide high-quality, value-based care to local communities by enrolling its 100,000th patient in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) Oncology Care Model (OCM)

COVID-19 has created a significant distraction from normal practice operations. The uncertainty that comes along with the pandemic is a huge worry, and can distract from practice transformation.

The authors, from RxCrossroads by McKesson, discuss the impact of copay accumulator and maximizer programs.

As health care costs rise, especially for patients with complex conditions, a major barrier to access is the disconnect between medical benefits and pharmacy benefits.

Available in patients’ own communities, novel clinical trials are making an impact in the fight against cancer.

Gavreto was granted accelerated approval by the FDA on September 4, 2020, for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic RET fusion-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).