Medicare Reform Packages Debated on Capitol Hill Must Include Balanced Approach to Reimbursement for Cancer Treatment

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Tuesday, 24 June 2003

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Applauds U.S. Reps. Charles Norwood (R-GA) and Lois Capps (D-CA) for Leading the Charge to Protect Cancer Patients

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society today joined other cancer organizations in expressing deep concern about proposed changes to cancer care being debated by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in the context of Medicare reform. These changes stand to harm the quality of care received by cancer patients throughout the United States.

Bills currently proposed by lawmakers would cut physicians' reimbursement for their purchase of chemotherapy drugs by hundreds of millions of dollars each year. In turn, physicians would be forced to curtail or even eliminate service to Medicare beneficiaries with cancer, and patients would be required to travel greater distances to more crowded conditions with diminished quality. The impact would be widespread, considering that more than 80 percent of chemotherapy treatment is conveniently provided on an outpatient basis.

In response, U.S. Reps. Charles Norwood (R-GA) and Lois Capps (D-CA) have drafted a bill that would correct Medicare reimbursements while protecting the integrity of care that cancer patients receive. The bill, known as the Quality Cancer Care Preservation Act (H.R.1622), seeks to achieve the following:

Cancer drugs would be reimbursed at rates based on the manufacturer's sales price with an additional amount that would cover the costs of handling the drugs, including procurement, capital invested in inventory, storage, waste and bad debt.

The full costs of administering chemotherapy would be covered, including oncology nurse time, specialized equipment and supplies.

Medicare would establish reimbursement for services that oncologists provide, including counseling on treatment, side effects and end-of-life care, nutrition counseling, psychosocial services and social work support.

"The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society applauds representatives Norwood and Capps for their leadership," says George Dahlman, the Society's Vice President of Public Policy. "The Quality Cancer Care Preservation Act will help ensure that cancer patients on Medicare have access to quality care, and we call upon other lawmakers to join in support of this bill."

For more information, or to contact Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, see their website at: www.leukemia.org

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