The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Feb. 12 the Oncology Care Model (OCM), which is designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of cancer care by providing financial incentives for high-quality, coordinated care. Eligible entities include physician group practices and solo practitioners that currently provide chemotherapy and are enrolled in Medicare, as well as commercial insurers, Medicare Advantage plans, state programs, and Medicaid managed care plans. Participating practices will be reimbursed through episode- and performance-based payments that encourage high-quality care for cancer patients through care coordination. Practices will also receive monthly care management payments for each Medicare fee-for-service beneficiary, which provide support for practices as they adapt to meet program requirements.
Interested payers must submit a letter of intent (LOI) to CMS by March 19, and eligible practices must submit an LOI by April 23. Final applications for payers and practices are due June 18. CMS is hosting a Feb. 19 webinar to discuss the core concepts of the OCM and provide an overview of application instructions.
Please contact Beth Feldpush, DrPH, senior vice president of policy and advocacy, at bfeldpush@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0111 with any questions.
