Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University's Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia have developed a model for establishing a comprehensive multidisciplinary geriatric oncology center to avoid the potential overtreatment or undertreatment that elderly patients with cancer may face.
With the uncertainty that accompanies health reform, a safe and secure alignment that integrates oncologists with a hospital or academic medical center can be seductive.
A bill has been proposed in the House of Representatives seeking to ease some of the financial burdens placed on community oncologists by the sequestration. But does it go far enough?
A new survey by McKesson Health Solutions and released at America's Health Insurance Plan's Institute 2014 conference examined the state of value-based reimbursement, and found that of the existing value-based models, payers and hospitals/health systems predict pay-for-performance (P4P) will experience the most growth
Hospitals, community health centers, and clinics that participate in the federal 340B drug pricing program are finding themselves under scrutiny from some members of Congress and the pharmaceutical industry because of recent expansion of the Affordable Care Act.
Some health plans and clearinghouses are charging unreasonable fees for electronic fund transfer (EFT) transactions to providers who accept payment from virtual credit cards
A third of practice managers and health care executives who participated in a survey about value-based contracts said they expected the agreements to hurt the bottom line of their institution or practice
Health care professionals, including primary care physicians, cardiologists, oncologists, and psychiatrists are using their mobile devices (ie, smartphones and tablets) less, as compared to last year, and find themselves spending more time on a daily basis in front of their desktop computers
A regimen of nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) and gemcitabine is a cost-effective option for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer because it delivers a survival advantage at a price comparable to the cost of an existing combination therapy
Attendees of the Urology Joint Advocacy Conference were asked to focus on four goals as they left the Washington, DC gathering to meet with congressmen and senators on Capitol Hill.
Patients who receive genetic counseling before they undergo testing are educated about these tests and may have fewer unnecessary procedures
Bundled payments are no longer being relegated to pilot program status, according to a report from the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3). Instead, more and more public and private payers are committing to this model as a core payment and delivery reform strategy.
A retrospective analysis of pharmacy and medical claims conducted by WellPoint shows that the costs to treat and care for cancer patients can be 3% to 14% less, depending on cancer type, when it is provided by oncologist-owned practices versus hospital-owned practices.
A new independently validated lab test is now available that takes advantage of the extensive database of gene mutations amassed by Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center.
The ballots are in, and 16 leading researchers whose discoveries have propelled the field of cancer treatment forward will be honored during the 2014 Giants of Cancer Care award ceremony on May 30 at Riva Restaurant on Navy Pier in Chicago.
Although the deadline for ICD-10 implementation has been moved to October 1, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed, in collaboration with physicians, a free tool that is specialty-specific and offers customizable, actionable advice and tips to ease physician practices through the transition to ICD-10.
Patients with advanced cancer who received early specialized palliative care reported better quality of life and satisfaction.
A new reimbursement program initiated by WellPoint, Inc., looks to pay oncologists an additional $350 a month for each patient who is enrolled in and follows one of the insurer's recommended cancer treatment regimens
Nearly 72% of office-based physician practices were using electronic health records (EHRs) in 2012, marking the slow and eventual decline of paper medical charts, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. From 2007 through 2012, use of any type of EHR system increased across all physician and practice categories, with the exception of HMO-owned practices.
Physician practices that provide care to patients who have enrolled in the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) health exchanges are finding it difficult to complete some basic administrative tasks.
For patients whose colorectal cancer has spread to the liver, and confirmed by computed tomography (CT), further imaging scans before surgery added little benefit when compared to patients who did not undergo further imaging.
Community oncology practices are at a crossroads despite the maturity of the marketplace. Running an efficient oncology practice is getting tougher and tougher.
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University's Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a model for the establishment of a comprehensive multidisciplinary geriatric oncology center to help combat the over or under treatment that elderly oncology patients often face.
Collecting payments from patients is difficult, so practices need to adapt so that collecting revenue from patients comes just as easily as collecting reimbursement from insurers.
The reductions in reimbursement for chemotherapy drugs after passage of the Medical Modernization Act (MMA) had a distinct effect on the administration of cancer drugs for patients in the last 14 days of life.
Despite repeated attempts to pass a permanent fix to address Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, efforts by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have stalled again.
With the growth of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and cuts to reimbursement fees for chemotherapy that is administered in physician offices
Payment reform in oncology is not new, but since most of the models proposed in the past have required wholesale changes in practice, care delivery, or administrative structure, oncology practices have been reluctant to embrace significant change.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have released a tool to look up an individual clinician's reimbursement record, but its ease of use remains to be seen.
Richard S. Pelman, MD, Juan A. Reyna, MD, and David F. Penson, MD, all large urology organization leaders, cited managing bureaucracy, PSA screening, and in-office ancillaries as top priorities.
