National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The NCCN Oncology Policy Program was initiated in 2009 to allow opportunities for discussion among oncology stakeholders to address relevant health policy concerns. The NCCN Oncology Policy Program has convened Policy Summits in areas such as comparative effectiveness research (CER), risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS), patient advocacy, off-label drug use and compendia, biosimilars, molecular testing, clinical pathways, and data needs.

NCCN will continue these initiatives with summits focused on current policy topics. Details on NCCN's current policy programs, as well as past summits, can be found below.

NCCN Policy Priorities

View policy priorities and relevant policy statements.

Please send any comments or questions regarding the NCCN Oncology Policy Program to healthpolicy@nccn.org.

2020 Policy Summits

NCCN Policy Summit: Accelerating Advances in Cancer Care Research: A Lookback at the 21st Century Cures Act in 2020

Live webinar was held June 10, 2020

NCCN Policy Summit: Innovative Solutions to Drive Down Healthcare Costs: Implications for Access to High-Quality Cancer Care

Live webinar was held September 9, 2020

NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit: Cancer Across the Lifespan

Live webinar was held December 10, 2020

2019 Policy Summits

NCCN Policy Summit: The State of Cancer Care in America: The Impact of State Policy on Access to High-Quality Cancer Care

June 27, 2019 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

NCCN Policy Summit: Defining, Measuring, and Applying Quality in an Evolving Health Policy Landscape and the Implications for Cancer Care

September 12, 2019 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

NCCN Patient Advocacy: Delivering Value for Patients across the Oncology Ecosystem

December 11, 2019 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

June 25, 2018 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

Article

Policy Summit: Policy Challenges and Opportunities to Address Changing Paradigms in Cancer Care Delivery

September 13, 2018 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

Article

Patient Advocacy Summit: Advocating for Equity in Cancer Care

December 10, 2018 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

Article

2018 Policy Statements, Comment Letters, and Endorsement Letters

NCCN Response to CMS Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking International Pricing Index Model
(December 2018)

NCCN Response to CMS Memo “Prior Authorization and Step Therapy for Part B Drugs in Medicare Advantage”
(September 2018)

NCCN Response to CMS CY 2019 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System Draft Rule
(September 2018)

NCCN Response to CMS CY 2019 Physician Fee Schedule Draft Rule
(August 2018)

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS 2019 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule
(June 2018)

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS Advance Notice of Methodological Changes for CY 2019 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates, Part C and D Payment Policies, and 2019 Draft Call Letter
(March 2018)

NCCN Comment Letter to CMS on the Proposed CY 2019 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost Plan, Medicare Fee-for-Service, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs, and the PACE Program
(January 2018)

NCCN Comment Letter to FDA in Response to Citizens Petition to Ban Ultra-high Dose Unit Opioids
(January 2018)

2017 Policy Summits, Summaries, and Articles

Policy Summit: Ensuring Patient Access and Safety in Cancer Care

June 15, 2017 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

Article

Policy Summit: Redefining Quality Measurement in Oncology

September 25, 2017 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

Article

Patient Advocacy Summit: Addressing Survivorship in Cancer Care

December 1, 2017 • National Press Club, Washington, DC

Article

2017 Policy Statements, Comment Letters, and Endorsement Letters

Champions Rising to the Challenge of Ensuring High-Quality Cancer Care
(December 2017)

NCCN Comment Letter on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2019 Proposed Rule
(November 2017)

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS 2018 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule
(September 2017)

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS 2018 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Proposed Rule
(September 2017)

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS 2018 Quality Payment Program (QPP) Proposed Rule
(August 2017)

NCCN Comment Letter and Recommended Language for Wisconsin Physician Services (WPS) Proposed Draft for Local Coverage Determination
(June 2017)

Principles for Access for Unapproved Therapies
(June 2017)

NCCN Statement on FDA Leadership and Vision for the Future
(April 2017)

NCCN Letter Regarding the American Health Care Act (AHCA)
(March 2017)

NCCN Comment Letter on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Market Stabilization Proposed Rule
(March 2017)

NCCN Letter to GOP Doctors Caucus Re: MACRA, ACA, and 21st Century Cures
(January 2017)

2016 Policy Summits, Summaries, and Articles

Patient Advocacy Summit: Value Tools for Patients in Cancer Care

Friday, December 9, 2016 • Washington, DC

Article

Policy Summit: Emerging Issues and Opportunities in Health Information Technology

Monday, June 27, 2016 • Washington, DC

Article

Policy Summit: Developments in Biosimilars and Molecular Testing

Friday, September 16, 2016 • Washington, DC

Article

2016 NCCN Comment Letters Submitted

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS MACRA Final Rule
(December 2016)

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS 2017 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) Proposed Rule
(September 2016)

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule
(September 2016)

NCCN Comment Letter on CMS MACRA Proposed Rule
(June 2016)

NCCN Comment Letter on ONC Interoperability for MACRA Request for Information
(June 2016)

2015 Policy Summits, Summaries, and White Papers

Patient Advocacy Summit: Value in Cancer Care – Patient Perspectives

December 1, 2015 • Washington, DC

Miss the event? Now Available! View videos below:

Patient Advocacy Summit: Value in Cancer Care - Patient Perspectives on Access to Cancer Care: Panel Video 1
Loyce Pace, MPH, LIVESTRONG Foundation, explores access to cancer care, followed by an expert panel discussion featuring Terry Langbaum, MAS, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; Bonnie Miller, RN, BSN, OCN, FAAMA, Fox Chase Cancer Center; Caroline Pearson, Avalere Health; Ms. Pace; David Rubin, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; and moderated by Clifford Goodman, PhD, The Lewin Group.

Patient Advocacy Summit: Value in Cancer Care - Defining Value for Patients with Cancer: Panel Video 2
Alan Balch, PhD, Patient Advocate Foundation, explores the definition of value for people with cancer, followed by an expert panel discussion featuring Dr. Balch; Bob Carlson, MD, National Comprehensive Cancer Network; Ms. Langbaum; Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship; Dan Ollendorf, PhD, Institute for Clinical and Economic Review; Dana Wollins, MS, American Society of Clinical Oncology; and moderated by Dr. Goodman.

Patient Advocacy Summit: Value in Cancer Care - Patient Perspectives on the Cost of Cancer Care: Panel Video 3
Veena Shankaran, MD, MS, University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research, Center, explores the cost of cancer care and the patient impact, followed by an expert panel discussion featuring Dan Klein, Patient Access Network Foundation; Susan Pelletier, Cancer Survivor and Advocate, Lori Reilly, JD, PhRMA; Leonard Saltz, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Dr. Shankaran; and moderated by Dr. Goodman.

Now Available! Value in Cancer Care – Patient Perspectives Summary
On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) convened its sixth annual NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, titled, Value in Cancer Care – Patient Perspectives. View summary here.

Policy Summit: Value, Access, and Cost of Cancer Care

September 11, 2015 • Washington, DC

White Paper

Policy Summit: Emerging Issues in Tissue Allocation

White Paper

Summary

2014 Policy Summits, Summaries, and White Papers

Policy Summit: Patient Concerns in 2014 – Big Data, Access, and Palliative Care

November 2014 • Washington, DC

Summary

The Sunshine Act and Conflict of Interest in Medicine

F. Marc Stewart, MD, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses the physician perspective on the Physician Payments Sunshine Act at the NCCN Policy Summit: The Impact of Health Care Reform on Academic Oncology Practice that took place on July 10, 2014. View recording here.

The Impact of Health Care Reform on Academic Oncology Practice

July 2014 • Arlington, VA

Summary

Designing Clinical Trials in the Era of Multiple Biomarkers and Targeted Therapies

April 2014 • Bethesda, MD

Summary

White Paper

NCCN and the Affordable Care Act

February 2014