“The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) congratulates Chiquita Brooks-LaSure on her confirmation as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Administrator Brooks-LaSure is now in a key position to lead CMS during the agency’s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the evolving implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) under the new Administration.

"Administrator Brooks-LaSure is well-prepared for her new role. She helped draft parts of the ACA as a staffer on the House Ways & Means Committee, has experience working in the White House Office of Management and Budget, and served as a senior CMS official during the Obama administration, where she helped implement the ACA and other health insurance reform policy.

"ASCO is looking forward to working with Administrator Brooks-LaSure and CMS to re-examine demonstration projects aimed at improving access to high-quality, equitable cancer care in the United States. Collaboration between the agency and stakeholders will be particularly important as we continue to navigate and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, while aiming to further improve cancer care. ASCO is particularly interested in working with CMS to implement important initiatives such as the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act and new physician payment models."