Welcome!The Maryland and District of Columbia Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (“MDCSCO”) is committed to improving the quality and delivery of care in medical oncology in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia. We promote appropriate standards of care in oncology and cooperate with investigators conducting cancer research. In addition, we assist in the continuing education of oncologists and educate the public, the government, insurance carriers, and other health care providers about appropriate prevention of cancer and other therapeutic options for patients with cancer. We encourage you to join more than 400 current members in providing the leadership in our progressive future. Click here to find out more about our membership.
VIEWBOOK
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IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ONCOLOGISTS
NO MORE DUES!
The Maryland and District of Columbia Society of Clinical Oncology now offers FREE professional memberships to physician oncologists. Click here for the flyer. As a member, you get the following benefits:
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CMS' "Fail First" Step Therapy Policy Means Medicare Patients with Cancer Will Face More Dangerous Delays and Denials
Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) codified its decision to allow MA plans to use “fail first” step therapy for new starts of Part B drugs for cancer and other serious diseases. The Trump administration’s decision to finalize step therapy in MA plans means that Medicare patients with cancer will face nightmares of delays and denials while trying to access their physician-prescribed treatments
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MDCSCO October 24, 2018
Membership and Awards Dinner
Award Recipient Sheila Ross
UPCOMING MEETINGS
(See the event calendar for more info!)
TUESDAY, June 18 - ASCO Update, Baltimore, Center Club
August 2 - Best of ASCO Reception, MDCSCO, Baltimore, MD
September 11 - Hot Topics, Annapolis, Hotel Annapolis
October 30 - MDCSCO Awards Dinner, Baltimore, Center Club
December 4 - MDCSCO Industry Spotlight, Hanover, MD - Hotel at Arundel Preserve
December 7 - 9 – ASH Annual Meeting
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Economic Cost of Cancer in U.S. Tops $94B Annually According to a Study
State-by-state variations in cancer deaths suggest that effective cancer prevention and treatment could yield economic benefits, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.
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Denial Rates and Days to Pay for Cancer Drugs: Commercial Health Plan Report Card
Office-administered oncology drugs given in the community setting face stiff reimbursement challenges when billing commercial plans; while Medicare has emerged as the gold standard for both predictable payment and timeliness.
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Highlight Patient Horror Stories
COA recently launched a major national campaign to highlight the negative impact of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) on patients with cancer. The “PBM Abuses” campaign will ensure that PBM middlemen's abuse of patients with cancer is not lost in policy deliberations in Washington.
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Corporate Members
Affiliates
News
Janssen provides discussion paper for 2020 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule.
The CMS fact sheet is available here. In the FY 2020 IPPS Proposed Rule, CMS addresses how the agency proposes to pay for CAR T-cell therapy administered on an inpatient basis.
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CMS Open Payments: Review and Dispute Period Now Open
U.S. physicians have from April 1 until May 15 to review and dispute Open Payments data before it is made public on June 30. Review of the data is voluntary, but strongly encouraged to help improve the accuracy of the reported data.
Learn more here
ASTRO releases updated radiation oncology safety guide
In conjunction with Patient Safety Awareness Week, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) published an update today to its framework for safe and effective radiation therapy treatment. The comprehensive reference guide, Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care, is available for download.
CDC Issues Key Clarification on Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
Agency Clarifies CDC Guideline Not Meant to Limit Access to Appropriate Pain Management for Individuals with Cancer, Sickle Cell Disease
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