Reimbursement cuts proposed in the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) would threaten patient access to community-based radiation therapy, according to the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a draft rule on July 8 that would result in a 5% to 7% reduction in payment for radiation oncology services at community-based centers, although cuts could be more than 10% for some centers, depending on their patient population, ASTRO said.
The proposed rule also includes other adjustments that would negatively affect radiation oncology care, such as an increase in the assumed equipment utilization rate for radiation treatment delivery, which would reduce reimbursement for cancer treatment, according to the organization.
After the draft rule was released, ASTRO conducted a two-week survey of almost 1,400 community-based radiation therapy centers in the U.S. The survey found that with reimbursement cuts of 5% to 10%, nearly 30% of the practices said they may have to close their doors. Approximately 62% said they may have to consolidate practice locations, and an estimated 41% said they may be forced to stop accepting Medicare patients.
"ASTRO and its members are very concerned that the cumulative impact of recent significant cuts, totaling about 25% during the past six years, plus these new reductions could seriously threaten access to care for many cancer patients by potentially forcing clinics to close or limit their services," ASTRO Chair Dr. Bruce Haffty said in a statement.
