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NCCN Summit Explores How Current Health Policies Help and/or Hinder the Coordination of High-Quality Cancer Care Delivery in the U.S.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network convenes Policy Summit to address changing care paradigms, and the impact across the cancer care continuum
Washington, D.C. [September 13, 2018] — Today, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) hosted a summit exploring the current health policy landscape in the United States, and what it means for the delivery and coordination of high-quality cancer care. The NCCN Oncology Policy Summit: Policy Challenges and Opportunities to Address Changing Paradigms in Cancer Care Delivery took place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Experts from across the cancer care continuum discussed how current policies help or hinder optimal care delivery, with a focus on innovation, value-based models, the changing cancer care workforce, and coordination of care.
“NCCN encourages the creation and implementation of policies that enable better access to evidence-based cancer treatment,” said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “The experts on the NCCN Guidelines® Panels weigh the best available evidence before recommending the best approaches for treating individuals with cancer. Health care policies should facilitate the delivery of these best approaches, not hinder them. ”
Cancer care needs to continuously evolve with advances in innovation and changes in related care delivery to ensure access and maximize quality and outcomes; related policies in the United States do not always keep pace with these needs. In response, NCCN convened a working group to suggest short- and long-term policy strategies for implementing best practices for overcoming the disconnect. Warren Smedley, MSHA, MSHQS, UAB Cancer Community Network, University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University presented the group’s findings during the summit.
“NCCN recognizes the need to provide increasingly higher value care to our patients by continuously striving to improve care, streamline processes, and reduce unnecessary utilization,” explained Smedley. “To achieve this, we are emphasizing the need for greater transparency and availability of patient care data through the sharing and exchange of claims data from CMS and private payers, as well as greater functionality and interoperability for electronic health record systems.”
Smedley continued: “Effective value-based cancer care requires a holistic, team-based approach. Yet, current reimbursement practices do not typically recognize the value of the extended care team. With the looming shortage of physicians, we need to develop team-based payment models that support a broader skillset and greater diversity on the care team.”
Lee Newcomer, MD, MHA, who formerly oversaw oncology for UnitedHealthcare, gave a keynote address on how potentially negative consequences can arise out of good intentions.
"Society wants effective cancer therapies to be affordable,” said Dr. Newcomer. “Well-intended policies to guarantee access to pharmaceuticals have allowed prices to skyrocket. The tragedy of these policies is that those high prices are restricting access."
Drs. Newcomer and Platanias also participated in a panel discussion on innovative treatment and coordination of care, which also featured:
- Yelak Biru, Cancer Survivor, Patient Champion
- Eric Konnick, MD, MS, FCAP, University of Washington
- Ray Page, DO, PhD, FACOI, The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Fort Worth
- Mary Pinder-Schenck, MD, Merck
- Amy B. Porter-Tacoronte, MBA, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
Another panel discussion, focused on delivery high-quality cancer care under value-based payment models, included Drs. Newcomer and Smedley as well as:
- Christian G. Downs, MHA, JD, Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC)
- Andrea E. Ferris, MBA, LUNGevity
- John O’Shea, MD, The Heritage Foundation
- Robert S. Saunders, PhD, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy
Both panels were moderated by Clifford Goodman, PhD, of The Lewin Group.
NCCN will host its next policy summit on December 10th. It will focus on Patient Advocacy and Equity, and feature Lynette Bonar, RN, MBA, FACHE, CEO, Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation, who will give a keynote address on providing cancer care for the Navajo Nation. Visit NCCN.org/policy for more information and join the conversation online with the hashtag #NCCNPolicy.
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