Medicare Part B Proposal Could Create Barriers to Cancer Treatment
Statement of American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network President Chris Hansen
WASHINGTON, D.C. May 9, 2016 The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSæCAN) filed comments with the Department of Health and Human Services today on the Medicare Part B Drug Payment Model Proposed Rule. A statement from ACS CAN President Chris Hansen on the potential impact of the rule on cancer patients follows:
ACS CAN is deeply concerned by the proposed Part B Drug Payment Model as it could negatively impact access to critical prescription drugs for cancer patients who need treatment and the providers who treat them. While the goal of the proposed demonstration project is to improve patient quality and lower spending, in its current design the model could actually result in cancer patients getting care in higher cost, less desirable settings.
We are exceedingly concerned that the scope and breadth of the proposal go far beyond a demonstration project and could result in beneficiaries having to travel greater distances in order to receive their cancer care.æ This result would be particularly problematic for beneficiaries who reside in rural areas who have fewer treatment options.
Cancer patients and survivors depend on drug therapies to extend and improve their quality of life. We strongly urge CMS to reconsider the depth and breadth of the approach of this proposal to ensure that cancer patients continue to have access to the prescription drugs needed for their treatment.æ ACS CAN urges CMS to address the aforementioned concerns as well as the full list of questions included in our comment letter before implementing any new Part B payment policies.
To view the full comment letter, visit http://bit.ly/1rL8zkf.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visitæwww.fightcancer.org.
For More Info, Contact:
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Alissa Crispino or Jill Courtney
Phone: 202-661-5772 or 202-585-3278
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]g
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