scout

July 2016

CMS, through the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, has launched an initiative called the Oncology Care Model that is designed to maintain clinical outcomes and reduce the total cost of care. The obvious first question is, has it been designed to do so?

Physicians tend to agree that the practice of defensive medicine is widespread, especially in oncology where much more is at stake than in the general practitioner's office. However, things can go drastically wrong.

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.