On May 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services introduced the opening of a second spherical of functions to hitch the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) in July 2025. The software portal to use will open in July 2024.
EOM is a voluntary cost mannequin supposed to rework take care of most cancers sufferers. EOM goals to enhance care coordination, high quality, and well being outcomes for sufferers whereas additionally holding oncology practices accountable for complete prices of care to make most cancers care extra inexpensive, equitable, and accessible for sufferers and Medicare. There are 41 practices and three payers taking part within the first cohort.
The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) additionally introduced a number of refinements to the mannequin’s insurance policies, together with:
• Increasing the bottom Monthly Enhance Oncology Services (MEOS) cost quantity from $70 per beneficiary per 30 days to $110 per beneficiary per 30 days, For dually eligible beneficiaries, the MEOS cost will improve from $110 per beneficiary per 30 days to $140 per beneficiary per 30 days;
• Raising the brink for the purpose wherein individuals are required to pay again CMS to prices associated to their sufferers’ care; and
• Extending the mannequin by two years, till June 2030.
The Community Oncology Alliance issued an announcement saying that it continues to see vital lags in knowledge reporting, which means practices are compelled to attend lengthy durations of time to learn how they’re doing every efficiency interval. In addition to unacceptable wait instances, practices are nonetheless seeing some structural points and at the moment are confronted with uncertainties surrounding MEOS. “While the updates from CMMI are a step in the correct route, we all know the EOM can proceed to evolve in a means that works higher for these using it each day,” COA stated.
“We are desirous to see how neighborhood oncology practices reply to those updates. COA is devoted to new fashions that remodel most cancers care supply and profit sufferers. We will proceed working with CMMI on these and different enhancements to the EOM, in addition to future fashions,” the group stated.