ASTRO members also are urging Congress to protect access to care by stabilizing Medicare reimbursement rates and fully supporting the transition to a health system that rewards quality over quantity. Congress unanimously passed the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act in 2015, freezing payment rates for key radiation treatment services in freestanding clinics through 2018 at levels set in 2016 and requiring the Secretary of HHS to report to Congress on the development of alternative payment models (APMs) in radiation oncology. With the support of key Congressional leaders, we have much-needed stability in radiation oncology payments, and ASTRO has been working on the development of an APM that incentivizes adherence to nationally-recognized clinical guidelines through an episode-based payment framework across five primary cancer sites: breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, and head and neck. Radiation oncologists are on Capitol Hill to remind Congress of the multidisciplinary nature of cancer care and call for the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the nationwide transition to value-based health care.

"When Medicare inappropriately ratchets down on payments for cancer treatments, it jeopardizes whether patients have access to the care they need," said David C. Beyer, MD, FASTRO, chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors and medical director of Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona at Sedona. "In the past decade, radiation oncologists in community-based practices have sustained as much as a 20 percent drop in their Medicare payments. We're urging Congress to prevent additional cuts and support physician-led efforts to drive value-based care."


Finally, ASTRO members are advocating to preserve access to radioactive isotopes. Any effort to abandon radioactive source-based technology in health care would limit patients' access to certain radiation therapy treatments, which could interfere with treatment decisions and result in higher mortality and recurrence rates. A recent Nuclear Regulatory Commission analysis found no violations with safety or security consequences over the past 30 years, demonstrating the culture of safety and security among domestic radioisotope users. Moreover, radiation oncologists and medical physicists receive extensive training in the safe use and security of radioactive isotopes. ASTRO members are urging Congress to reject attempts to limit access to radioactive isotopes and promote policies that enhance the safe and effective use of these materials.

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