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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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Member News
Arun Bhandari, MDCSCO board member, has just been named to serve on the Maryland Health Care Commission. He also serves on the Maryland State Council of Cancer Control. Dr. Bhandari is with Chesapeake Oncology Hematology Associates in Annapolis.
OF INTEREST
MD Anderson Cancer Center is featuring an online educational series for all health care provider specialties in the following cancer topics: breast, COVID-related topics, dermatology/melanoma, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, internal medicine, thoracic and head & neck, and hot topics. The modules are pre-recorded and will be available through February 1, 2022. To view more details or register, click here.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
MDCSCO ASH Update
Wednesday, January 26, 2022, 7:00pm EST
Program, Reception, Exhibits
FREE for MDCSCO Members and Guests
Register HERE.
Resources - COVID-19 Vaccinations for Physicians
District of Columbia:
Maryland:
http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/msms/issues/2021-01-04-email.html
Updated Recommendations on COVID-19 Vaccine Third Doses from NCCN
The National Comprehensive Cancer Center Network (NCCN), a nonprofit alliance of leading cancer centers, announced significant updates to the NCCN: Cancer and COVID-19 Vaccination guidance. This is the fourth version of NCCN's COVID-19 vaccination guide and incorporates the latest data plus recent approvals from the FDA and CDC regarding a third mRNA vaccine dose for immunocompromised people. The updated guidance is available for free at NCCN.org/covid-19.
Click here for the complete NCCN press release.
Vaccines.gov Website is Now Live
CMS has announced that the federally supported website that makes it easier for individuals to access COVID-19 vaccines is now live. Vaccines.gov – powered by the trusted VaccineFinder brand – is available in English and Spanish, with high accessibility standard, and will help connect Americans with locations offering vaccines near them. In addition to the website, people in the U.S. are also now able to utilize a text message service, available in both English and Spanish. People can text their ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) and 822862 (VACUNA) to find three locations nearby that have vaccines available.Vaccines.gov is meant to complement the number of state and pharmacy websites that have been successfully connecting many Americans with vaccinations, by providing a unified federal resource for Americans to use no matter where they are.
In addition to the website and text messaging service, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline is now available to help those who prefer to get information by phone on where to get a vaccine. Call 1-800-232-0233 to find a location near you.
Speaker Program On Demand Site
The Pfizer Oncology team has created a Speaker Program On Demand Site that now houses a program presented by Jennifer R. Klemp, PhD, MPH, entitled Addressing Cancer Health Disparities: Understanding Drivers and Looking Toward Change. This program is for healthcare professionals and illustrates the disparate health outcomes that exist across the cancer care continuum. The program provides an understanding of the factors contributing to healthcare disparities, the effect on health outcomes, and potential approaches to overcoming barriers that may negate optimal cancer care in vulnerable populations. Click here to review the program brochure.
STATE CANCER FACT SHEETS AVAILABLE
The 2021 State Cancer Fact Sheets for all fifty states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are now available on myAffiliates and ASCO’s webpage. The fact sheets contain key cancer and health care data from each state and highlight the impact of NIH funding in your state. These fact sheets are useful background materials for meetings with legislative staff and can aid your advocacy efforts. Contact [email protected]o.org for help with coordinating your advocacy activities.
Corporate Members
Affiliates
New Strategies magazine - Spotlight on Practitioners
Click here for past issues of Strategies
Beginning on January 1, 2022, all states and territories will be required to cover and reimburse for the routine costs of care for services associated with Medicaid enrollee participation in a qualifying clinical trial. The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) issued a State Medicaid Director Letter outlining new Medicaid state plan requirements, including what is/is not a covered service, definition of a qualifying clinical trial, coverage determinations, and state exceptions for compliance as presented in the legislation.
CMCS is instructing states to submit a state plan amendment (SPA) describing coverage, benefits, and payment methodology used to pay service providers for routine costs associated with clinical trials in each state. The SPA should be issued at least one day prior to the effective date of the proposed changes. To ensure equitable, transparent, consistent, and comprehensive coverage requirements across all states, ASCO drafted a SPA offering specific and technical coverage and reimbursement recommendations. The SPA is intended to serve as a model submission from state Medicaid agencies to CMCS. We have also attached an accompanying "challenges" document which provides the rationale for the provisions included in the SPA and other implementation considerations.
We urge State Affiliates to send the attached SPA and challenges document to your State Medicaid Agency requesting they consider our recommendations as they draft their own. With the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act effective in less than two weeks, we recommend sending this as soon as possible. Please contact Gina Hoxie at [email protected] with any questions or for additional information.