Home > Public Policy : Overview and Insights
Access to Public Policy Issues and Trends
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.
Recently, ACCC has submitted numerous comments and collected data on the issues involving coverage of Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents (ESAs). We are also continuing to collect data from our members concerning the impacts on patients and hospitals, specifically surrounding the issue of increased blood transfusions. We have compiled all of this information into a special section of the coverage issues page.
On your behalf, ACCC works with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Government Accountability Office, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and other key policy makers in Washington, DC, to ensure patient access to quality cancer care in community cancer programs and in physician offices.
ACCC has worked tirelessly on Capitol Hill to help correct the underpayment for therapies under the hospital outpatient prospective payment system.
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.
Matt Farber, Manager, Provider Economics & Public Policy,Phone 301.984.9496, ext. 221, Email mfarber@accc-cancer.org
