April 2016

Peter Bach, MD, is heading the Evidence Driven Drug Pricing Project, a 3-year initiative that will pilot value- and indication-based payment structures for drugs, funded by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.

Jennie R. Crews, MD, FACP, discusses how her 18 years of diverse activity in the oncology sector would translate into strong leadership for the Association of Community Cancer Centers and its membership of 20,000.

Many physicians are excited by the possibility of following the evolving story of their patients’ cancer no longer through images including PET scans, but through changes in the molecular phenotype of their patients’ tumors.

A newly proposed drug reimbursement plan from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid has oncology associations up in arms, whereas a well-known patient advocate and oncologist says he sees method in the payment scheme.

A profusion of so-called “liquid biopsy” tests that extract circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA, or exosomes from blood and urine are under investigation at research institutions and startup firms, and in some cases are already being used to supplement or replace traditional biopsies.

The ongoing value transition got a bit more real in March when The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services introduced a proposal for Medicare Part B drug payment changes that would even out the margins that physicians make on drug sales.

Oral parity legislation for getting newer drugs to patients under similar coverage terms as for older drugs often involves a battle that doesn’t stop when a law is passed.

A mandate enacted after the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was supposed to improve health coverage for patients enrolled in clinical trials; however, nearly 63% of cancer centers and organizations that responded to a recent survey reported insurance denials of routine care costs associated with patient involvement in clinical trials during 2014.

A study published recently offers help to physicians in recognizing which of their patients would experience heightened sensitivity to the financial strain of cancer care.