ASCO Applauds Administration Decision to Withdraw Most Favored Nation Model

Statement By Howard A. “Skip” Burris III, MD, FACP, FASCO Board Chair of the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
For immediate release
August 6, 2021

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Rachel Martin
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"The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) commends the Biden Administration for proposing to rescind the Most Favored Nation (MFN) model from consideration. ASCO has consistently opposed the ill-advised MFN model, as it would have had a devastating impact on people with cancer. 

"The proposed MFN model would have imposed a nationwide, mandatory experiment that would cut reimbursement for 50 drugs, including 38 drugs used to treat cancer. According to estimates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the MFN model would have caused 19% of Medicare beneficiaries to lose access to drugs included in the model. ASCO’s analysis conducted in 2020 found that reimbursement cuts to just four drugs commonly used to treat lung and other cancers would have resulted in patients with lung cancer losing as many as 87,556 years of life due to their loss of access to these drugs over the model’s seven-year duration. 

“ASCO looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Administration and Congress on our shared goals of controlling the rising cost of cancer drug treatments and ensuring patient access to the highest quality cancer care.” 

About ASCO: 

The Association for Clinical Oncology is a 501 (c)(6) organization that represents nearly 45,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Established by the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2019, the Association works to ensure that all individuals with cancer have access to high-quality, affordable care; that the cancer care delivery system supports optimal cancer care; and that our nation supports robust federal funding for research on the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Learn more at www.ascoassociation.org and follow us on Twitter at @ASCO