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Health Care Roundup: Medicare ‘Step Therapy’ Concerns; Alternative Cancer Treatment Risks; Immunotherapy Scientists Win Nobel Prize; More

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HEALTH CARE HIGHLIGHT – NCCS Submits Concerns to HHS Regarding New “Step Therapy” Plan – NCCS joined with other cancer organizations of the Cancer Leadership Council (CLC) in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the new plan announced on August 7 that gives Medicare Advantage plans the option of applying step therapy for […]

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NCCS Joins with Cancer Leadership Council to Outline Concerns Regarding New “Step Therapy” Plan

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NCCS joined with other cancer organizations of the Cancer Leadership Council (CLC) in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the new plan announced on August 7 that gives Medicare Advantage plans the option of applying step therapy for physician-administered and other Part B drugs. The letter outlines several concerns regarding the application of step therapy […]

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NCCS Submits Recommendations to CMS Regarding Proposed Changes to Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)

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NCCS submitted a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed update to the hospital outpatient prospective payment system, known as OPPS, for calendar year 2019. In the letter, NCCS outlines support for a change in payment for clinical services that are provided at off-campus provider-based departments that will reduce cost-sharing for patients for clinic visits. Additionally, CMS included a “request for information” […]

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NCCS Raises Concerns Over Impact on Patients of Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Revisions

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NCCS submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the Medicare physician fee schedule revisions proposed for calendar year 2019 and proposed revisions in the Quality Payment Program. In our comments, NCCS addressed proposed changes to evaluation and management services, which are provided in the office or outpatient setting and are a critical element of cancer care. CMS proposed creating a […]

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NCCS Statement on HHS Final Rule for Short-Term, Limited Duration Health Plans

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The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) issued the following statement regarding the Trump administration’s announcement of the final rule on short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans: “NCCS is deeply concerned that the Administration’s new rule on short-term, limited-duration plans, called ‘junk insurance’ by health insurance experts, will harm cancer patients and survivors by providing inadequate coverage for cancer care […]

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Health Care Roundup: “Toxic Town” in WV Battles High Cancer Rates; CMS News: Risk Adjustment, 340b, Site-Neutral Payments; Hospital Costs; More

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CMS Resumes ACA Risk Adjustment Payments — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will continue payments—amounting to $10.4 billion—to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) risk-adjustment program. The program was established to ensure that risk is spread across insurance companies. Recently, in one of the many efforts to dismantle the ACA, CMS announced that it would halt the payments, […]

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ACA Update February 16, 2018 | Idaho Insurer Rolls Out Health Plans That Violate ACA Regulations, Including Pre-Existing Condition Protections

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Two weeks ago, NCCS reported in our ACA Update that Idaho regulators said they would allow the sale of insurance plans that don’t adhere to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) requirements. This week, the state took it a step further when Blue Cross of Idaho unveiled health plans that break the ACA’s federal health laws in several ways. Blue Cross of Idaho will attempt to sell insurance plans that are priced based on applicants’ health status. […]

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NCCS Submits Comments to CMS, Stresses Importance of ACA and Outlines Steps to Strengthen Law

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NCCS submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to a request for information, in which CMS asked for suggestions to empower patients and promote consumer choice, stabilize insurance markets, and enhance affordability. In our letter, NCCS stressed the importance of the Affordable Care Act, with its pre-existing condition protections, community rating requirements, essential […]

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NCCS Submits Comments on CMS Proposed ACA Market Stabilization Rule

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NCCS submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed rule that is intended to “help stabilize the individual and small group markets.” The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has provided health insurance coverage—and therefore access to health care—for many cancer survivors who were previously denied insurance coverage due to their […]

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NCCS Comments on CMS’s Proposed Revisions to the 2017 Physician Fee Schedule

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NCCS submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed revisions to the 2017 Physician Fee Schedule. Our comments noted our support for the Oncology Care Model, but acknowledged that only a minority of cancer care providers and cancer patients will be part of this model. Therefore, changes to the […]

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