To better understand the drivers of health care workforce shortages, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gain insight from stakeholders as well as explore strategies to address health care workforce shortages. The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently submitted a response to this RFI, focusing on current oncology workforce demographics, drivers of oncology shortages across the care team, lack of workforce diversity, and the distribution of oncology professionals across rural America.

The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) submitted comments in response to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposal is to streamline prior authorization by requiring Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid plans, and Qualified Health Plans (QHP) on Federally Facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) to establish an electronic prior authorization process that would be integrated into a provider’s workflow.

Today President Biden released his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 federal budget with an emphasis on increased funding for medical research and expanded access to health insurance.

Both chambers of the United States Congress are working on a top health care priority for the session—protecting patients from high out-of-pocket drug costs and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices that could reduce access and adherence to treatments. The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will monitor the status of these bills and any future bills that address PBM practices and patient out-of-pocket costs, and it will work with Congress to ensure the oncology community is heard throughout the process.

The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Contract Year 2024 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs proposed rule. ASCO’s comments focus heavily on the proposed changes to prior authorization in the MA program in addition to enhancing health equity and other updates to the Part D drug benefit program.

In anticipation of President Biden’s State of the Union Address, the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is urging the president to keep cancer care and research as top national priorities.

The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) submitted comments in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 2024 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters proposed rule. ASCO’s comments support proposals aimed at reducing or eliminating gaps in health care coverage, and the Association continues to advocate for beneficiary protections by opposing the use of copay accumulator programs.