Practice Management

In a time when the country feels more politically divided than ever, there is broad consensus that Medicare should be allowed to negotiate prescription drug prices directly with drug makers, and that the FDA should expedite approvals of generic cancer drugs to lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs. Read Article ›

Business intelligence is the process of collecting data from disparate systems—internal and external—and turning it into information that is meaningful and actionable toward achieving strategic goals. Read Article ›

The McKesson value-based care team employs a combination of tactics to help practices in The US Oncology Network achieve success in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). One of the challenges with the new MIPS program is the need to focus on the current year’s performance, while taking steps to ensure that practices are successful in future years. Read Article ›

Oncology practices are challenged by day-to-day operational functions, which are often related to payment, reimbursement, and competition, according to the new survey titled “The State of Oncology Practice in America” from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) on the oncology practice landscape in the United States. Read Article ›

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, has been outspoken about the critical need to reign in drug prices. Biosimilars are crucial for improving patient access to biologic drugs at an affordable cost. Biologics are now key in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune conditions. But cost remains an obstacle to access to drug therapy. Read Article ›

Utilization management strategies allow payers to manage the cost of healthcare benefits, but according to Ray D. Page, DO, PhD, FACOI, President, the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Weatherford, TX, this practice often leads to burdensome requirements on oncologists and an increased administrative workload. Read Article ›

What are the most noteworthy trends that can affect an oncology practice’s strategic planning, budgeting, and bottom line? The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) partnered with the Advisory Board Company to identify some of those trends in the 2017 Trending Now in Cancer Care Survey. The survey results were presented at the 2018 ACCC Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit. Read Article ›

Opioids are the mainstay treatment for cancer pain, but managing the opioid crisis in the United States requires an “all hands on deck” approach, according to Tonya Edwards, MS, MSN, FNP-C, Nurse Practitioner, Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. Read Article ›

Strategic planning for oncology practices is more important today than ever before, with the oncology landscape rapidly evolving, driven by complex issues not encountered previously. Read Article ›

In a January 3, 2018, statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, the FDA announced new steps to promote generic drug competition as a way to expand potential access to inexpensive medicines, which would be especially helpful for patients with cancer. These new steps are a part of the FDA’s ongoing implementation of the Drug Competition Action Plan. Read Article ›