ACCCBUZZ BLOG

Advocating on behalf of their patients and programs, ACCC members from 14 states participated in Virtual Hill Day, speaking with Congress and their staff on key legislation asks regarding access to care, telehealth, prior authorizations, and more.

Looking to the future, CMS is seeking to leverage the agency’s strength to advance health equity; drive high-quality, person-centered care; and promote the affordability and sustainability of the Medicare Program.

It is no surprise to financial advocates that accessing treatment cost assistance for radiation oncology patients is a major challenge. In response, ACCC’s Financial Advocacy Network held two small-group coffee chats to assist its members in identifying and addressing barriers to financial support for patients receiving radiation therapy.

ACCC has partnered with several of its oncology state societies to establish the Appalachian Community Cancer Alliance—a key effort to address disparities in cancer screening and care delivery in the region.

ACCC Board Member Wendi Waugh tells ACCCBuzz about her experience speaking at and attending the in-person Oncology Reimbursement Meetings this spring, covering topics from financial advocacy in oncology to formulary management and networking with colleagues to address workforce concerns at your cancer center.

ACCC is supporting the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, which would require Medicare Advantage plans to standardize and streamline prior authorization processes and increase the transparency of their requirements to prevent unnecessary denials and delays in patient care.

The second post in a three-blog series, ACCCBuzz shares how Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates' NOLA initiative is addressing access to care, clinical trials, biomarker testing, and more.

Jeanie Troy, a financial navigator at Lake Region Healthcare in the Cancer Care and Research Center, discusses how to help uninsured patients access their anti-cancer treatment if they are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.

After convening its members, sponsors, and industry partners in Washington, DC, for the first time since the dawn of COVID-19, ACCC Buzz shares a glimpse of the activities and insights the final day at ACCC’s 48th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit.

In response to the ever-changing landscape of healthcare and financial advocacy, the ACCC Financial Advocacy Network is collaborating this year with its partners to update ACCC’s Financial Advocacy Services Guidelines.

The new year brings with it new goals and plans for ACCC’s Financial Advocacy Network. But before talking about the innovations to come in 2022, let’s look back at the accomplishments of 2021.

As we approach the end of 2021, ACCCBuzz is recognizing the individuals who have been featured in our Financial Advocate Spotlights and the incredible stories they have shared with us.

Because transportation disruptions can result in missed appointments, treatment delays, and potentially adverse health outcomes, we must help ensure that our patients have access to safe and reliable means of transportation.

Discussions about staffing shortages, burnout, and heavy workloads have taken center stage during recent meetings with ACCC members. Learn what financial advocates and others are experiencing in their cancer program or practice and leadership are doing or plan to do to rebuild morale and team connections.

While we talk to patients about insurance coverage and answer their related questions throughout the year, the health insurance Marketplace and Medicare open enrollment seasons provide the best opportunity to educate patients about their insurance options.

To help cancer programs and practices establish and maintain robust financial navigation programs, ACCC's Financial Advocacy Network recently developed the “Ready, Set, Go! Financial Advocacy Playbook” for all members of the cancer care team—particularly those who provide any level of financial advocacy services.

With total spending on U.S. cancer care projected to rise 34 percent from 2015-2030 to $245 billion, biosimilars can play a role in helping reduce those costs. Learn how Biden’s executive order on promoting competition in the American economy will require the FDA's biosimilars approval framework to be clearer and easier to follow.

The enormous out-of-pocket cost difference between well-covered traditional chemotherapies and often-uncovered oral oncolytics can result in levels of financial toxicity from which many patients struggle to return. To address this issue, the U.S. House of Representatives has this year reintroduced the Cancer Parity Act, which seeks to resolve unequal cost-sharing for oral oncolytics.

Financial toxicity in oncology is a long-standing issue for patients with cancer. As increasing costs related to cancer care put financial strain on patients, so too do the indirect costs of a cancer diagnosis and treatment—travel, childcare, and other daily living needs. Learn how 2021 ACCC Innovator Award winner Dr. Lauren Hamel at Wayne State University School of Medicine; Karmanos Cancer Institute has set out to address current trends in treatment-related cost discussions between patients and their care team members through a mobile app to make these conversations a vital part of patients’ treatment plans.

Knowing what co-pay assistance each patient needs and where to find it—often in short order—is key to successfully securing funding and ultimately enabling access to necessary treatment. These four key steps can help financial advocates obtain patients co-pay, premium, or travel assistance from independent patient foundations.

“For me, this experience was excellent, and I felt prepared with the preparation ACCC offered,” said Jared Kast, RT(T), MHA. The successful ACCC Virtual Hill Day—held May 12, 2021—brought together ACCC members and state lawmakers. Learn more about what issues were discussed and members' experiences in this new virtual format.

Many patients with cancer now enjoy the invaluable benefits and flexibilities that telehealth makes possible. Patients have more convenient access to appointments, increased support from family caregivers who can attend virtual visits, and more time to focus on their work and families. Olalekan Ajayi, PharmD, MBA explains how the Telehealth Modernization Act can make this expanded healthcare access available beyond the pandemic.

This year's ACCC 2021 Virtual Hill Day, which will take place May 12, will offer ACCC members a new way to experience advocacy trainings, legislative briefings, and Congressional meetings from the comfort of their home or office. This year, ACCC's legislative priorities will focus on the Telehealth Modernization Act and the Safe Step Act of 2021.

The interactive and virtual ACCC Financial Advocacy Network Town Hall: Tips for Tracking Impact, held March 23, 2021, featured financial navigation experts sharing tips and tools to address patient financial need. The town hall is now available on demand.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) is a comprehensive attempt to address the problems raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic disruption. This post examines COBRA and marketplace subsidy provisions, which are expected to extend insurance coverage to millions of Americans.

On February 15, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services opened healthcare.gov for a special enrollment period that runs through May 15. “By opening the health insurance marketplace, President Biden is providing our patients with options they did not have available to them before,” says Lori Schneider, chair of ACCC’s Financial Advocacy Network and oncology operations manager at Green Bay Oncology. “It is imperative that all cancer centers review and discuss these options with their patients to help prevent financial toxicity.”

Navigators are problem solvers. ... We're filling in gaps where we’re needed, helping with screening, implementing cleaning protocols, and helping staff transition to virtual work.