Advocacy and Public Policy
More than 30 years of service to the oncology community... At every critical crossroad, ACCC is there for you and your patients.
The Association of Community Cancer Centers champions the importance of access to cancer specialists and appropriate cancer therapies and leads efforts to respond to regulations and legislation that threaten to compromise the delivery of quality cancer care.
On your behalf, ACCC works with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, The U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC), and other key policy makers in Washington, D.C., to ensure patient access to quality cancer care in community cancer programs and in physician offices.
ACCC Efforts Pay Off: Drug Reimbursement in Hospital Outpatient Departments Set to Increase in 2011
On July 21 more than 200 ACCC members listened to a discussion of the proposed HOPPS rule and Physician Fee Schedule.
ACCC members can view a detailed summary of the proposed 2011 HOPPS rule. After you log on to the Members-Only section, select MEMBER CONTENT from the menu at left.
The proposed 2011 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule has been put on public display by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In the 2011 proposed rule, CMS announced that reimbursement for drugs and pharmacy services will increase to ASP+6 percent from the current level of ASP+4 percent. ACCC has advocated for this change for the past three years, ever since reimbursement began to decrease in 2007.
ACCC members can view a detailed summary of the proposed 2011 Physician Fee Schedule. After you log on to the Members-Only section, select MEMBER CONTENT from the menu at left.
Summary of Clinical Trials Provisions in Health Care Reform Law
Section 10103(c) of PPACA added a new provision to the federal Public Health Service Act which imposes requirements on group health plans and health insurance issuers offering individual or group health insurance products to provide for coverage of routine patient costs associated with approved clinical trials.
Hospital Outpatient Issues
ACCC serves as a policy advocate to its hospital members on federal legislative/regulatory issues before the United States Congress and federal government agencies. The Association also serves as an essential information resource on all Medicare reimbursement issues facing its hospital members. ACCC works on Capitol Hill to help correct the underpayment for therapies under the hospital outpatient prospective payment system.
Physician Office Issues
ACCC continues to monitor, respond, and communicate to our physician practice members any changes in Medicare reimbursement to Part B covered drugs and biologicals, drug administration, and coding.
Payment and Coverage Issues
Medicare coverage policies and off-label issues continue to be a primary area of focus for ACCC. ACCC has emerged as a leader in this area, and is committed to ensuring that our members' views are considered as policies are developed. ACCC works to ensure patient access to new oncology drugs. ACCC spearheaded efforts to make citation of a cancer drug in any of the standard reference compendia sufficient to require insurers to pay for its use outside of FDA-labeled use. To date, 39 states have passed ACCC's off-label legislation and similar language is in Medicare and Medicaid statutes.
Early on, ACCC had the insight to promote the development of the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program, and ACCC continues to work with NCI to support clinical trials in community cancer programs nationwide.
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