All patients, regardless of who they are or where they live, deserve timely access to high-quality cancer care. ASCO has developed an extensive portfolio of policy statements on key access and quality issues that impact patient care, such as inadequate and unaffordable insurance coverage, health disparities in cancer care, rising drug costs, limited access to clinical trials, and patient access to palliative care. Special areas of focus have been in oncology clinical pathways, health equity, and financial barriers to cancer care.  

ASCO policy statements provide commentary and analysis on important policy issues affecting the cancer community, including people with cancer and their cancer care teams. These statements are informed by volunteer leadership, who identify key policy issues and contribute to the development of ASCO’s policy positions.

Policy statements on access and quality issues include

• Social Determinants of Health and Cancer Care (February 2024)
• Climate Change (November 2023)
• White Bagging (August 2023)
• Biosimilar and Interchangeable Products in Oncology (April 2023)
• Prior Authorization (October 2022)
• Drug Repository Programs (October 2022)
• Copay Accumulators and Copay Maximizers (January 2021)
• Cancer Disparities and Health Equity (August 2020)
• Home Infusion of Anticancer Therapy (June 2020)
• Block Grants in Medicaid & Their Impact on Cancer Care (January 2020)
• Pharmacy Benefit Managers and Their Impact on Cancer Care (August 2018)
• Addressing Medicaid Waivers & Their Impact on Cancer Care (August 2018)
• Addressing the Affordability of Cancer Drugs (July 2017)
• Utilization Management (April 2017)
• Strategies for Reducing Cancer Health Disparities Among Sexual and Gender Minority Populations (April 2017)
• Access to Investigational Drugs (April 2017)
• ASCO Principles for Patient-Centered Healthcare Reform (January 2017)
• "Brown Bagging" and "White Bagging" of Chemotherapy Drugs (June 2016)
• Opioid Therapy: Protecting Access to Treatment for Cancer-Related Pain (May 2016)
• Clinical Pathways in Oncology (January 2016)
• Medicaid Reform (November 2014)
• Opportunities in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to Reduce Cancer Care Disparities (August 2011)
• Toward Individualized Care for Patients With Advanced Cancer (January 2011)
• The Cost of Cancer Care (August 2009)
• Disparities in Cancer Care (June 2009)
• Palliative Cancer Care a Decade Later: Accomplishments, the Need, Next Steps (May 2009)

ASCO also develops policy briefs, which are based on existing ASCO policy. These briefs provide additional content, key terms and definitions, and a more detailed look at a specific issue.

Policy briefs on access and quality issues include:

• Oncology Workforce Shortages (June 2023)
• Pharmacy Benefit Managers (December 2022)
• Gold Carding (December 2022)
• Medicaid and Cancer Care Access (August 2022)
• Fertility Preservation and Cancer (June 2022)
• Co-pay Accumulators and Co-pay Maximizers (February 2021)
• Price Transparency (January 2020)