Community Oncology Alliance (COA) | Strategic Alliance Partnership

The House of Representatives unanimously passed the bipartisan Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act (HR 5526), which would reverse CMS restrictions on mail delivery of cancer medications to Medicare beneficiaries.

Ted Okon, MBA, executive director of the Community Oncology Alliance, spoke with The American Journal of Managed Care® about how the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) lawsuit against pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) could affect the future of pharmaceuticals and oncology.

Based on an Avalere Health report, Community Oncology Alliance warns that IRA negotiations could slice down payments needed to administer cancer drugs.

Policy changes, such as banning spread pricing and promoting transparency, are necessary to realign the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) market and ensure that health care resources benefit patients and providers rather than being diverted by middlemen, according to panelists at the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit.

The need for improved collaboration between payers and providers is key to successfully implementing value-based care initiatives that address patient needs, ensure measurable outcomes, and overcome challenges, according to panelists at the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit.

A panel discussion at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) Payer Exchange Summit highlighted the tension between state regulation of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preemption, emphasizing the need for reforms to balance employer uniformity with addressing PBM practices.

There are concerns that the negotiated drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are leading to large provider reimbursement cuts, explained Nick Ferreyros, managing director, Community Oncology Alliance.

Panelists at the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit 2024 agreed that overcoming health care challenges will depend heavily on collaboration and active engagement from multiple stakeholders in the policy and regulatory process.

From the Community Oncology Alliance.

Coverage from the Community Oncology Alliance 2024 Community Oncology Conference, held April 3-5, 2024, in Orlando, Florida.

Coverage from the Community Oncology Alliance Community Oncology Conference, held April 4-5, 2024, in Orlando, Florida.

Shawn Tuma, JD, CIPP/US, cybersecurity and data privacy attorney, Spencer Fane LLP, highlights the biggest threats concerning a cyberattack on oncology practices.

Judith Alberto, MHA, RPh, BCOP, director of clinical initiatives at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), discusses upcoming policy initiatives and the current oncology landscape amid a health care cyberattack.

In this interview from our coverage of the 2024 Community Oncology Conference, Shawn Tuma, JD, CIPP/US, Spencer Fane LLP, discusses how he helps clients reduce their cyber risk and be better prepared for breaches when they occur.

The annual legislative update at the Community Oncology Alliance Community Oncology Conference identified what Congress may focus on prior to the upcoming election.

This panel at the Community Oncology Alliance conference discussed the impact of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) response to the end of direct and indirect remuneration fees, which has been dramatic cuts to cancer drug reimbursement.

"The government really didn't rise to the challenge the way that it should have,” notes Ben Jones, vice president of government relations and public policy for The US Oncology Network. “Practices were in distress…stretching all resources to figure out workarounds."

Kathy Oubre, MS, CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, is 1 of 6 cochairs for the 2024 Community Oncology Conference, and here she discusses how meeting content has incorporated ongoing coverage of the extremely disruptive cyberattack and how there is still so much work to be done.

Jonathan E. Levitt, Esq, founding partner of boutique health care law firm Frier Levitt, LLC, discusses a recent class-action lawsuit brought against Johnson & Johnson in which an employee alleged a breach of fiduciary duty regarding her employer-sponsored pharmacy benefits.

Judy Alberto, MHA, RPh, BCOP, director of clinical initiatives at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), addresses the challenges pharmacies face in managing formularies to provide optimal patient care.

With the 2024 Community Oncology Conference, from the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), set to kick off this week in Orlando, Florida, The American Journal of Managed Care® spoke with Emily Touloukian, DO, COA board member and 1 of 6 cochairs for this year’s meeting, on highlights from the packed agenda and the power of advocacy.

As pressure from the Biden administration on UnitedHealth Group increases, physicians' groups weigh in following the unprecedented hack on Change Healthcare.

The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), which represents independent cancer care practices, has asked CMS to act following a dramatic drop in reimbursements from Express Scripts, Inc. effective January 1, 2024.

Miriam J. Atkins, MD, FACP, president of the Community Oncology Alliance, discusses the impact of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) on health care costs and offers potential ways to remedy certain CMS decisions that negatively affect oncologists and their patients.

At this year’s Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform, leaders from across all facets of the cancer care space engaged in thought-provoking panel discussions and debates. They have a common aim: to optimize cancer care delivery and ensure patients have a positive experience throughout their cancer care journey.