113 Members of Congress Send Letter to HHS Secretary Calling On CMS to Stop Oncology Reimbursement Cuts
On October 14, 2009, 113 members of Congress sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius calling on CMS to reverse the devastating payment cuts for oncologists found in their proposed rule. This letter was led by Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY) along with Representatives Artur Davis (D-AL), Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), Gordon (D-TN), Tanner (D-TN), Cohen (D-TN), and Danny Davis (D-IL). The letter noted that payment cuts for cancer treatment, diagnostic services and the administration of cancer drugs will have a devastating impact on community cancer clinics. This letter was spearheaded by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and strongly supported by the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and US Oncology.
This letter criticizes CMS for their use of the AMA Physician Practice Information Survey (PPIS) Survey that wrongly concludes that the cost of treating cancer has declined substantially. The Representatives questioned the sample size of this survey, noting that few community oncologists were included in the results and expressed dismay that CMS did not provide access to the survey data used to produce these controversial results. The letter described a recent meeting with CMS in which practice administrators representing community cancer clinics from around the country presented data from their clinics on the cost of delivering care, describing the negative impact on patient care and access to treatment that would occur if these Medicare cuts go into effect on January 1, 2010.
Click here to read the text of the Representative Israel letter to the HHS Secretary.
Previous Letters on the Oncology Reimbursement Cuts:
Click here to read the September 23 letter from 32 U.S. Senators regarding the radiation oncology cuts.
Click here to read the September 10 letter from 60 House Representatives regarding the cardiology and oncology cuts.
Click here to read the August 17 letter from 63 House Representatives regarding the radiation oncology cuts. |