Association for Clinical Oncology

See schedule o:member services: the Association works to support and educate its global network of nearly 45,000 Oncology professional members, maintaining online forums that allow members to discuss issues of professional interest, supporting international regional councils, and recruiting members for, and tracking participation in, volunteer activities related to the Association, including serving on committees.

See schedule o:advocacy: the Association's advocacy work focuses on assuring high-quality care for all patients with cancer. Working with volunteer members and affiliated state and regional Oncology societies, Asco engages with the administration, congress, and state lawmakers to address issues of critical importance to cancer care and research. The Association's advocacy portfolio includes Clinical research, insurance coverage for cancer care, Clinical practice, workforce, disparities, cost and access, survivorship, and cancer prevention. Advocacy activities include tracking, analyzing, and influencing pending legislation and regulations, and educating both members and policymakers about the impact of policy on cancer patients, clinicians, and Clinical research. In 2022, the Association was successful in its efforts to obtain increased funding for cancer research, with a $2.5 billion nih funding increase over fy22 and a $408 million nci funding increase over fy22, including full funding for the final year of the cancer moonshot. Additionally, the fiscal year 2023 spending package passed by congress reduced the 4.47% cut in the medicare physician fee schedule final rule by 2.5%, leading to a final estimated cut of approximately 2% for 2023; waived the 4% medicare statutory pay-as-you-go (paygo) cut for 2023 and 2024; and extended the advanced alternative payment model bonus, providing a 3.5% incentive payment (down from 5%) for 2023. Finally, the house of representatives passed prior authorization legislation, hr 3173, the improving seniors' timely access to care act, and more than half the senate cosponsored prior authorization legislation, the most ever. In the states, step therapy laws updated in Colorado, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Tennessee; prior authorization laws passed in Michigan and Louisiana; and a combined prior authorization and step therapy law was enacted in Pennsylvania. Additionally, copay accumulators bans were enacted in Maine, Washington, and Delaware. Asco also supported federal agency policies that resulted in expanded access to aca marketplace health plans (currently a 13% increase in enrollment this year compared to last), expanded access to colorectal screening for medicare beneficiaries, and fixed a loophole in the aca that had previously presented a barrier to access for some family members of individuals with available employer-sponsored coverage.

See schedule o:accreditation & certification: the Association conducts an accreditation program that promotes the practice of its members by maintaining and improving the quality of medical care available to the public and maintaining high standards of excellence in Oncology. The quality Oncology practice initiative (qopi) certification program ("qcp") provides a three-year certification recognizing high-quality care for outpatient hematology-oncology practices. The qcp standards were adapted from the chemotherapy administration safety standards codeveloped by Asco and the Oncology nursing society (ons). They are intended to reduce the risk of errors and promoting the safe handling of chemotherapy agents. Participating practices receive site surveys by experienced Oncology professionals to assess compliance with all qcp standards through interviews, observation, and medical record reviews. Participants receive reports documenting their level of compliance with each certification standard and making recommendations or requirements for improved care. Qcp certification recognizes high performing practices and is not required for any professional licensing, nor is it required of the Association's members. 320 hematolgy-oncology practices were actively certified in 2022.