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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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Upcoming Virtual Events
HOT TOPICS FORUM:
MDCSCO is offering a virtual event entitled "Structural Racism and the Practicing Oncologist: What to Recognize, What to Change" on Thursday, October 8, 2020, at 8pm (reception with exhibits begins at 7pm). The speaker will be Danielle Hairston, MD, Assistant Professor, C-L Psychiatry and Training Director, Psychiatry Residency, Howard University Hospital/College of Medicine. This event is FREE for members. Click here for more information and to register.
The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), the world’s leading member-driven organization specifically dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy, is offering a live virtual program on Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy™ (ACI) on Thursday, October 8th, 2020, from 2:30 to 8:30 pm. Click here for more information and to register.
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.
ASCO Virtual Advocacy Day - September 16, 2020
Click here to view the attendees.
Current News
- September 18, 2020 - CMS Finalizes Radiation Oncology Model - Find out more
- September 16, 2020 - AACR Releases Its Inaugural Cancer Disparities Report - Find out more
- September 1, 2020 - CMS Quietly Resumes Practice Audits, Find out more
- August 14, 2020 - One of the nation’s leading cancer organizations today called for new actions to reduce disparities in cancer outcomes affecting racial and ethnic minorities, rural populations, sexual and gender minorities, people without insurance, and other disadvantaged populations. In a policy statement published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) argues that while progress has been made in raising awareness of disparities and driving research, the cancer community needs to take bolder, more aggressive steps to achieve equity for all patients. More information.
ONLINE RESOURCES
RxVantage recently shared a panel discussion of oncology experts from around the country who have exhibited impressive leadership amid COVID-19. These executives met via video conference to share experiences, discuss strategies that have worked (as well as those that have not), and their plans for moving forward. Click below to view each presentation:
- Oncology Operational Excellence During COVID-19
- Oncology Leaders Address Reopening: Oncology Operational Excellence Roundtable
- RxVantage COVID-19 Reopening Playbook: Customizable protocols to safely reopen your practice for vendor/rep visits
Corporate Members
Upcoming Events
Thu Oct 1, 2020ASCO Webinar: Quality and Safety in Chemotherapy Administration During COVID-19 Pandemic Category: Events |
View Full Calendar
Affiliates
New Strategies magazine - Perspectives on COVID-19
Click here for past issues of Strategies
ASCO COVID-19 Telehealth Updates, May 8, 2020
Click HERE to view the slide presentation from the webinar.
CMS Finalizes FY 2021 Inpatient Rule
On September 2, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the FY 2021 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule. ASH submitted comments in July on the proposed rule. The Society is pleased that many of the provisions ASH supported have been finalized, including the creation of a new Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Group (MS-DRG) for Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Immunotherapy, now the highest weighted MS-DRG with an unadjusted national base payment of around $240,000. CMS also finalized its proposal to exclude clinical trial cases from the calculation of the weight of the new MS-DRG in order to account for the cost differentiation between clinical trial and non-clinical trial cases. CMS’s final ruling on CAR-T reimbursement is a major advocacy win for ASH!
ASH Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts
Help ASH eliminate inequities in hematology by getting involved with our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. ASH has created an online library related to its programs in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which includes a growing archive of stories from diverse voices in hematology.
Learn more
CMS Releases Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
On August 3, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2021 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. CMS is not proposing any changes to the values of the outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) services finalized in the CY 2020 rulemaking. If this rule is finalized as proposed, hematology/oncology is projected to see an increase of 14% in 2021. The proposed rule also includes significant discussion around telehealth.
See Detailed Summary Here