Tony Hagen

CMS has scaled back the implementation of physician reporting requirements under the Quality Payment Program of medical value improvement created under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act legislation.

A move by CVS Health to place in-house physician dispensaries out-of-network for purposes of Medicare Part D drug payment would force hundreds of thousands of cancer patients across the country to find alternate sources for their oral oncolytic drugs.

Oncology practices should protect themselves from the danger of having their IT systems hacked by having a risk analysis done to identify potential access and compromise points.

The past few years have seen rapid evolution in the treatment and handling of advanced non–small cell lung cancer, prompting questions on how to optimize immunotherapies and targeted agents as well as incorporate biomarker testing.

The value of PD-L1 expression when using checkpoint inhibitors in non–small cell lung cancer is underscored by the just-announced disappointing progression-free survival findings from the phase III CheckMate-026 study of frontline nivolumab (Opdivo) versus physician's choice of combination chemotherapy.

Tony Mok, MD, discussed translational advances on the horizon in non-small cell lung cancer during a presentation at the 2016 International Lung Cancer Congress.

Blase Polite, MD, discusses the ramifications of CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt's remarks and lingering concerns about MACRA.

Medical students who obtain an MBA are less likely to remain in clinical work, however, and the study results suggest that the business world and its monetary gains are a powerful lure.

Television garners the most advertising dollars from cancer centers, but print and Internet media have seen threefold increases in cancer ads,

Ron Kline, MD, explains that there are bound to be technical difficulties with an ambitious program such as the Oncology Care Model.

The statistics show you are much more likely to encounter an independent oncology practice in Alaska than in New Hampshire.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is wavering on its commitment to the Medicare reform package passed in 2015, based on widespread concerns that the changes may be unwieldy and could increase the pace at which smaller physician practices are being forced into mergers.

Many oncology practices were motivated to join the Oncology Care Model in order to keep up with the evolution of value-based care. But when the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation started telling practices that their applications had been accepted, it was panic time for some.

A year after announcing its intention to launch the Oncology Care Model alternative payment plan for oncology care, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it has 196 practices enrolled across the United States and that the official start date is Friday, July 1.

The Department of Health and Human Services has turned down a request to override the patent for prostate cancer drug enzalutamide (Xtandi) so that it can be sold to a broader base of patients at a reduced price.

Two researchers have challenged the notion that money can be saved by packaging medications in sizes that conform more closely to patient weight and dosing needs.

Cigna's new policy is an extension of a previous Cigna requirement for the use of certified genetic counselors for breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancer genetic tests.

Incoming generic and biosimilar substitutes for dominant, brandname hematology drugs may lead to less costly treatment, but a lot will depend on the quality and supply of these new products,

ASCO's value framework tool for scoring drugs evaluated in trials has been upgraded to address more than 400 comments—mainly, responses to a survey—made by physicians and others.

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute has honed its merger strategy into a finely tuned regimen that goes from due diligence to planning to implementation and follow-up, all in a period as short as 120 days.

Researchers who set out to understand the affordability of cancer drugs across the globe concluded that lower prices in some poorer countries don’t equate to better access.

The global cost of cancer therapies shot up to $107 billion in 2015, an 11.5% rise from the $100 billion 2014 total for oncology therapeutics and supportive care drugs.

Hematological practices can expect a slate of new generics to replace long-established brand drugs going off patent, as well as new blockbuster blood therapies that will significantly improve the treatment of some malignancies.

The American Board of Internal Medicine has promised to roll out a series of short assessments that could potentially be taken in the privacy of one’s home or office and via an open book exam.

Two researchers have challenged the notion that money can be saved by packaging medications in sizes that conform more closely to patient weight and dosing needs.

The Evidence Blocks developed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Center make up one of the most ambitious attempts so far to incorporate data from multiple platforms to create a resource with broad applicability for the healthcare community.

Oncology practices may soon find themselves working directly with employers on benefits and treatment strategies.

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have responded to urgings from the oncology sector that they join in the effort to quash a proposal to change the rule on physician pay under Medicare Part B.

Enzalutamide (Xtandi) pricing heightens the likelihood of pre-authorization requirements and cost-sharing arrangements that may be financially burdensome, ruinous, or simply impossible to meet.

Members of the Community Oncology Alliance have issued a call to arms to spur a greater lobbying effort to stop a plan by The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Centers to implement a drug reimbursement change under Medicare Part B.