The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) responded to the approval of H.R.2, a Medicare-reform bill to end the program’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula.
ASCO’s Statement
ASCO President Peter Paul Yu, MD, FACP, FASCO, praised the historic Congressional vote that restored stability to one of cancer care’s most vital programs.
“Today’s courageous vote by the U.S. Senate to finally end the SGR formula is a vote for the millions of patients with cancer who depend on Medicare to help them fight their disease. With Congress passing this historic legislation to finally end the 13-year SGR roller coaster ride, Medicare beneficiaries and their physicians can breathe easier, knowing that they will no longer face the perennial threat of payment cuts that risk disruption of care and cause anxiety among patients.”
“We praise the 92 Senators for voting ‘yes’ on The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (H.R.2), and for joining the 392 House members who voted earlier to support this long-awaited legislation. The Congressional bipartisan, bicameral leadership that forged this much-anticipated resolution has taken an important step to restore stability and confidence in Medicare.”
“ASCO looks forward to working with policymakers to ensure that this new law is effectively implemented, and paves the way to new payment models that foster high-quality, value-based health care for all Americans with cancer.”
ACCC’s Statement
ACCC also applauded the lawmakers who voted “yes” on H.R.2.
“Last night’s historic 92-to-8 vote by the Senate is a long-awaited critical step in the right direction, restoring stability for physicians serving Medicare patients in communities across the country,” said ACCC President Steven L. D’Amato, BSPharm, BCOP. “ACCC thanks the legislators in both houses who voted in support of SGR repeal. We also salute our ACCC members for their persistent, multi-year advocacy efforts on behalf of SGR reform.”
In recent weeks, ACCC members were on Capitol Hill making more than 80 visits with congressional and committee staff as Congress negotiated the bill, and sent hundreds of letters to members of Congress urging support of H.R.2.
ACCC looks forward to working with members to effectively implement the bill, and transitioning towards a new future for physician reimbursement. ■
