Welcome
Our primary mission is to promote the highest professional standards of oncology practice in the state of Utah; to study, research and exchange information, leading to improvement in  the practice of hematology; to support and further oncology education; and to monitor and respond to appropriate legislative and regulatory concerns of the membership.
We encourage all oncology professionals to find out more about us and become a member of our growing community.
Membership has its benefits. Click below to find out more.
Imfinzi is First Immunotherapy to Show Both Significant Survival Benefit and Improved, Durable Responses to Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer
On September 9th, AstraZeneca presented detailed results from the Phase III CASPIAN trial, showing IMFINZI® (durvalumab) significantly improved overall survival (OS) in patients with previously-untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). IMFINZI in combination with four cycles of standard-of-care (SoC) chemotherapy (etoposide with either cisplatin or carboplatin) demonstrated a statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful improvement in OS vs. SoC chemotherapy consisting of up to six cycles of chemotherapy and optional prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI).
Cancer Drugs Account for 27% of All New Drug Approvals in the US
Cancer drugs currently account for 27% of all new drug approvals in the United States since 2010, a dramatic increase from the 4% share of the 1980s, a newly completed analysis from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development shows.
COA Statement on Senate Finance Committee "Drug Pricing Reduction Act" (Chairman's Mark)
(Yahoo! Finance) July 23, 2019 - Statement from Ted Okon, Executive Director, Community Oncology Alliance (COA): The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) appreciates the work of the Senate Finance Committee in developing the proposed Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act (drug package)....
"However, COA is vehemently opposed to the proposal to include support from patient assistance programs (coupons and related financial support) in the calculation of Average Sales Price (ASP), the basis for Medicare Part B drug reimbursement. Physicians, nurses, practice administrators, and other community oncology professionals see this proposal as having a severe adverse impact for patients with cancer who depend on financial assistance." ....
New Technology Add-on Payment: Impact on CAR T-cell Therapy Reimbursement
On August 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final rule for fiscal year (FY) 2020.
CMS Expands CAR T-cell Therapy Coverage for Medicare Beneficiaries
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare will now cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy delivered in inpatient facilities. This nationwide Medicare coverage increase for CAR T-cell therapy also opens the door for patients to receive treatment in outpatient health care facilities that are enrolled in FDS risk evaluation and mitigation strategies with expertise in delivering cellular therapies, and covers CAR T-cell therapy for off-label uses that are recommended by CMS-approved compendia.
Medicare OPPS and ASC Payment System CY 2020 Proposed Rule - Public Comments Due by September 27, 2019
On July 29, CMS proposed policies that follow directives in President Trump’s Executive Order, entitled “Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Health Care to Put Patients First,” that lay the foundation for a patient-driven health care system by making prices for items and services provided by all hospitals in the United States more transparent for patients so that they can be more informed about what they might pay for hospital items and services. The proposed changes also encourage site-neutral payment between certain Medicare sites of services. Finally, the proposed rule proposes updates and policy changes under the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System.
Dr. Xylina Gregg, Oncologist at Utah Cancer Specialists, President Elect of SUMO
At the annual spring meeting,SUMO members voted unanimously to make Dr. Xylina Gregg the next president elect of SUMO. Dr. Gregg will replace the current president of SUMO, Dr. Howard Coleman and will continue his work of promoting SUMO’s mission. Dr. Gregg will take charge of leading and directing oncologists throughout the great state of Utah.
Upcoming Events
2019 SUMO Fall Clinical Meeting
September 27 -28, 2019
Hyatt Centric Park City, 3551 N Escala Ct, Park City, UT 84098
Don't miss out on the 2019 Best of ASCO Meetings: Two Days of Scientific Findings, Practice-Changing Discussion
The Best of ASCO Meetings condense the most cutting-edge science and education from the world’s premier oncology event, the ASCO Annual Meeting, into a two-day program. The abstracts chosen for presentation and discussion reflect the foremost research and strategies in oncology that will directly impact patient care.
Educate and Support Your Patients with ASCO Answers Materials
Recently, State Affiliate presidents and executive directors received a mailing from Cancer.Net that included patient education materials that you and your members may find useful. These materials, along with additional resources that can be found on Cancer.Net give your patients ASCO-approved information on diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and psychosocial effects of cancer. The ASCO Answers series includes fact sheets, booklets on specific topics in cancer care, and comprehensive, patient-friendly guides. These easy-to-read materials cover breast cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, cancer survivorship, caregiving, palliative care, managing cancer-related pain, advanced cancer care planning, and much more. ASCO members save 20 percent. All orders include free domestic shipping.
August 2019 Advocacy Update
Sharing Hospital Outpatient Payment Proposal Maintains 340B Cuts, Addresses Price Transparency and Prior Authorization
On July 29, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule for reimbursement under the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) in 2020. ASCO is still analyzing the proposal and will provide more information to members as soon as possible.
PFS: Proposed Policy, Payment, and Quality Provisions Changes for CY2020 - Public Comments Due by September 27, 2019
On July 29, CMS issued a proposed rule that includes proposals to update payment policies, payment rates, and quality provisions for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) on or after January 1, 2020. This proposed rule is one of several proposed rules that reflect a broader Administration-wide strategy to create a health care system that results in better accessibility, quality, affordability, empowerment, and innovation. It also includes proposals to streamline the Quality Payment Program with the goal of reducing clinician burden. This includes a new, simple way for clinicians to participate in our pay-for-performance program, the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), called the MIPS Value Pathways.
ESRD and DMEPOS CY 2020 Proposed Rule - Public Comments Due by September 27, 2019
On July 29, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that proposes to update payment policies and rates under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for renal dialysis services furnished to beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2020. This rule also proposes updates to the acute kidney injury (AKI) dialysis payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by ESRD facilities to individuals with AKI and proposes changes to the ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP). In addition, this rule proposes a methodology for calculating fee schedule payment amounts for new Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) items and services and making adjustments to the fee schedule amounts established using supplier or commercial prices if such prices decrease within five years of establishing the initial fee schedule amounts.
CMS Proposes New Electronic Prior Authorization Process to Speed Access to Care
CMS recently issued a proposed rule to update and streamline the prior authorization process under Medicare Part D.
Economic Cost of Cancer in U.S. Tops $94B Annually According to a Study
State-by-state variations in cancer deaths suggest that effective cancer prevention and treatment could yield economic benefits, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.
CMS' "Fail First" Step Therapy Policy Means Medicare Patients with Cancer Will Face More Dangerous Delays and Denials
Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) codified its decision to allow MA plans to use “fail first” step therapy for new starts of Part B drugs for cancer and other serious diseases. The Trump administration’s decision to finalize step therapy in MA plans means that Medicare patients with cancer will face nightmares of delays and denials while trying to access their physician-prescribed treatments
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