Cancer doctors from across the U.S. are lending their voices to a new advocacy campaign to end drug shortages. Led by the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), nearly 500 oncology professionals have signed an open letter to Congress and the administration highlighting the severe impact of drug shortages on cancer care and urging swift action from lawmakers.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the 2025 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters final rule and the 2025 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule. The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) submitted comments on the proposed versions of both rules. Summaries of the final rules, highlighting provisions ASCO commented on, are included here.  

State governments are increasingly considering legislation to streamline prior authorizations processes, which Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) members say delay patient care, adversely affect cancer care outcomes, and divert providers from patient care. States have regulatory authority over fully insured health benefit plans (group and individual plans) and health benefit plans administered by the state itself (Medicaid and state employee benefit plans). This means that state governments can impact plan design through either legislation or regulatory action, and during the past decade, a majority of states have been working to leverage that impact to reform prior authorization.

President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which included a +1.68% adjustment to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor (CF) for the remainder of  calendar year (CY) 2024. This increase results in a 1.68% reduction to the 3.37% CF cut finalized in the 2024 MPFS final Rule. The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) advocated for Congress to address the full 3.37% Medicare physician reimbursement cut, and while ASCO appreciates congressional action, the Association is disappointed that Congress failed to eliminate the entire reimbursement cut.

President Biden unveiled his proposed Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget on March 11 that prioritizes cancer research and strengthens the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) ability to tackle potential disruptions and shortages of vital medicines, including those for cancer.

In his last State of the Union address this term, President Joe Biden emphasized critical policy priorities that the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) continues to advocate for on behalf of oncologists, their teams, and the profession.