Articles related to BUSINESS & POLICY

The recent acquisition of OneOncology by AmerisourceBergen Corporation and TPG Capital highlights the potential for private equity to support and grow community oncology care across the United States. Private equity firms are seeing opportunities in oncology, as they could help slow or reverse the trend of hospitals consolidating practices by providing significant funding needed upfront to start and operate a community oncology practice. With all the changing insurance relationships and the cost of doing business on a day-to-day basis, that’s a pretty risky proposition. But if private equity firms provide capital support, then it’s somebody else’s financial risk. OneOncology is a management services organization that partners with community oncology practices to provide resources that help institutions improve care and remain sustainable as the reimbursement environment changes. Its services provide “shelter in the storm,” especially with value-based care. Many practices are entering into reimbursement models in which they are taking on downside-risk, being part of OneOncology’s network allows them to spread and minimize potential financial loss. The uniqueness of this model is that it supports practices while keeping the operational decision-making at the practice-level independent. The recent acquisition of OneOncology is further proof that OneOncology’s mission is receiving greater support, and […]

The first increase in federally financed graduate medical education (GME) in 25 years was approved by Congress in December of 2020. The law was included in the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act for the year’s end. The law sets financing for 200 new GME positions each year for a total of 1,000 more GME roles to be developed over a five-year period. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the first 200 GME roles in January 2023. A total of 100 teaching hospitals from 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico will receive the slots. The roles are in place as of July 1, 2023.

Single-tablet regimen (STR) coverage under qualified health plans (QHPs) varies widely across the US. Although bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) coverage has grown over time, many QHPs in priority jurisdictions for the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) have coinsurance requirements. Delay in QHP coverage and benefit design may hinder access to new antiretroviral treatment (ART) regimens.

In a randomized controlled trial at three US hospitals over six months in 2021, the researchers randomized 30 attendings to prioritize seeing patients who were expected to be discharged that day before seeing other patients. Marisha Burden, MD, FACP, a professor of medicine and division head of hospital medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, and Angela Keniston, MSPH, an assistant professor and director of data and analytics for the division of hospital medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, discuss the study’s findings.

The panel discussion, titled “The Hospital Conundrum: A Gameplan for Fending Off Attacks and Coexisting,” was one of the sessions at the 2023 Community Oncology Alliance (COA) Annual Conference, where panelists also shared strategies to discourage hospitals from acquiring independent oncology practices. Hospitals and independent oncology practices have had contentious relationships at times. Some independent practices have claimed that 340B hospitals frequently engage in unethical business practices, such as acquiring or establishing satellite clinics near independent practices.

The 49-year-old breast cancer specialist typically sees patients two days per week and spends the rest of her time pursuing other interests such as research and public policy. Dr. Patt has testified before the Texas legislature and Congress on issues ranging from legislation aimed at reducing prior authorization hurdles to the need to reform the 340B Drug Pricing Program to ensure that more federal funds reach underserved populations in her role as executive vice president of policy and strategy at Texas Oncology, a large community-based practice with more than 500 physicians.