The Biden administration has announced the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM), a new model to improve cancer care among Medicare patients and address health equity.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation designed the model, with the goal of better supporting patients and improving their care experience.
Oncology practices that participate in the new cancer model can expect to provide patient-focused enhanced services, including patient navigation services, a detailed care plan, and screenings for health-related social needs.
Key elements of the model include the following:
- The offer of an additional payment to participating oncology practices that provide enhanced services to patients who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.
- A requirement that participating providers report patient demographic data like race, ethnicity, language, and gender identity.
- A requirement that participating providers develop plans to show how they will address health equity gaps in their patient population.
