Mike Fazio Discusses Data Lag Challenges in OCM and OCF

Throughout the Oncology Care Model (OCM), practices have dealt with a data lag, but in Oncology Care First (OCF) data is expected to be released more frequently, said Mike Fazio, senior vice president of Client Services at Archway Health.

Transcript

Data lag has been a challenge with the Oncology Care Model. Is that expected to improve in Oncology Care First?

We absolutely are expecting [it to improve], and so CMS did indicate in the RFI [request for information] that they would at least provide claims on a monthly basis. So that's consistent with the BPCI [Bundled Payments for Care Improvement] Advanced model. And that is quicker than today, which is data released on a quarterly basis. So, that's good news.

Recently, Seema Verma did say that the Blue Button 2.0, it's data at the point of care project was going really well in their opinion. And she did indicate that some type of a tool like that would be available to new programs like OCF—she didn't specifically say OCF, but she did say new models and bundled payment models that will be a future state for CMMI. So that's good news. We don't know what that what that means or how that looks. But it is important to get a patient's complete history. It just results in a better outcome and course of treatment, and it allows an oncologist to better plan. So that data, which right now is not available through claims on a patient's history that CMS has, making that available to OCF participants would be really important. And that's exciting, when we heard that news. And this was just a couple weeks ago. You know, we thought that that was that was really positive news. And so, we'll see what that really entails looks like, but it sounds good.

And absolutely, you know, if there'll be a risk component, similar to what CMS announced for OCF, it's important to have as much data in in real time as possible when you're managing risk. So, it all is aligning and sounds like good news is ahead of us.