July 23: Senators Introduce $5.2 Billion FY 2008 Supplemental Funding for NIH, Congress Overrides President's Veto of Medicare Legislation
Senators Introduce $5.2 Billion FY 2008 Supplemental Funding for NIH On July 16, Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced a supplemental bill, S. 3272, to add $5.2 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) FY 2008 budget, including $1.2 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
At a hearing last week, Sen. Harkin said that the additional funding will help restore the purchasing power that NIH lost due to inflation.
The bill would far exceed President Bush's recommended funding levels, as he did not request increases for NIH in FY 2008 or FY 2009. It also tops an $875 million increase that the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee approved last month for FY 2009. The President has stated that he will veto any bill that comes in over his proposed budget.
For more information, contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department, at 571-483-1670 or publicpolicy@asco.org.
Congress Overrides President's Veto of Medicare Legislation On July 15, the House of Representatives and the Senate both voted to override the President’s veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which would avert the 10.6% cut to Medicare physician payments.
Under the new law, physicians will continue to receive a 0.5% payment increase for 2008 (retroactive to July 1). The legislation also provides a 1.1% increase for 2009.
Medicare carriers are switching their systems back to the June 2008 rates (and increasing rates for certain mental health services). Some carriers may already have posted the new, correct rates, but others could take a week or more.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has said it will automatically reprocess any claims paid at the reduced rates and provide the balances due to physician practices that are shortchanged, most likely as a single batched check.
For more information, contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department, at 571-483-1670 or publicpolicy@asco.org.
Senate Committee Passes $325M Increase for FDA On July 17, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted for a $325 million budget increase to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in FY 2009. Congress previously provided a $150 supplemental increase to FY 2008 funding. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 29-0.
The panel's $325 million increase is only slightly higher than President Bush's final request for FDA in FY 2009. The House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee passed a $330 million increase for FDA.
However, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and House Republicans have said they want to subtract the $150 million that FDA received under the FY 2008 supplemental budget from the FDA funding for FY 2009.
If the Senate panel's bill becomes law, it would be the first time that Congress' share of FDA's budget topped $2 billion, and total congressional spending on FDA will have increased by nearly 30% in just two years.
For more information, contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department, at 571-483-1670 or researchpolicy@asco.org.
The legislation was named in honor of Rep. Deborah Pryce’s (R-OH) daughter, who was nine years old when she died of cancer in 1999. The House of Representatives passed the bill June 12.
The legislation authorizes $30 million per year for Fiscal Years 2009-2013 to:
Encourage and expand support for NCI’s existing biomedical research programs designating a multi-center national infrastructure for pediatric cancer research.
Establish a population-based national childhood cancer database, called the Children's Cancer Research Network, to evaluate incidence trends of childhood cancers.
Authorize grants to organizations for expanding and implementing activities to raise public awareness of treatment and research for pediatric cancers.
Support the development, construction and operation of a comprehensive on-line public information source on childhood cancers.
Establish a fellowship program in pediatric cancer research.
The Alliance for Childhood Cancer, of which ASCO is a member, has endorsed the legislation.
For more information, contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department, at 571-483-1670 or publicpolicy@asco.org.
ASCO Launches JOP Series on Exemplary Attributes of Research Sites On July 17, ASCO launched a series of articles in the Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) to provide researchers with tools and resources to help them incorporate high-quality clinical research programs into their practices.
Earlier this year, ASCO published a policy statement outlining the minimum standards and “exemplary” attributes for clinical trial sites in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The series of articles in JOP will provide practical information to researchers on how they can apply these standards and guidelines in their own practice.
Exemplary clinical trials sites go beyond the quality standards established by the federal government and international guidelines. They incorporate additional programs and activities that could include a diverse patient mix, high levels of participation and accrual, quality assurance programs, involvement of multiple oncology specialists, and high educational standards.
Article topic areas will include:
A practical, how-to description of good clinical practice standards.
The proper infrastructure for a clinical research program, including tips on building relationships with Institutional Review Boards and sample templates for budgeting and model contracts.
How to assess patient accrual barriers and develop an outreach program for each patient who participates.
Ways to improve practice involvement in the research process, including getting involved in the protocol concept and development process.
Best practices for quality assurance, including scope of work templates.
For more information, contact ASCO’s Cancer Policy & Clinical Affairs Department, at 571-483-1670 or researchpolicy@asco.org.
Physician Practice Information Survey ASCO, the American Medical Association and more than 70 other organizations are conducting a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America’s physician practices.
The results will be used to positively influence national decision makers. The section of the study pertaining to your practice expenses is particularly important, and we request that you complete it accurately in its entirety.
CMS has said it will use the results of this study to help determine physician payment. The survey firm, Dmrkynetec, is contacting randomly selected physicians and practice managers to respond to the survey. All responses will remain confidential.
At this time, the oncology specialty has had a 21% response rate. The goal is to collect at least 100 responses.
Dmrkynetec mailed a postcard to its entire physician sample on June 11. If you received this postcard, you have been selected to participate in the survey. If you have any questions about this survey, call Dmrkynetec toll-free at (877) 816-8940 and ask to speak with an executive interviewers about the 2008 Physician Practice Information Survey.
If you would like to see if you have been selected to participate in this survey, visit the 2008 Physician Practice Information Survey Web site. If you have been selected, the Web site will provide instructions for participating in the survey. ASCO encourages those selected to participate, and your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
News and Notes
ASCO Moved into New Office
On July 14, ASCO headquarters relocated to 2318 Mill Road, Suite 800, Alexandria, VA 22314. All staff phone numbers have changed as well. The new main number is 571-483-1300.
ASCO Conducting Learning Needs Assessment of Member Physicians ASCO is conducting a Needs Assessment of community practice members, focusing on learning styles, barriers to learning, access to technology, and other educational topics. This information will help ASCO more closely tailor products and meetings to members’ individual needs. You may be invited to join a focus group or to simply answer a few questions about your specific educational needs and how ASCO can help.
Join ASCO's Advocacy Network Advocacy is most effective when Members of Congress and government agencies hear from you, their constituents. By participating in ASCO's Advocacy Network, you will have the opportunity to develop ongoing relationships with your legislators while helping ASCO raise awareness on important cancer issues. To join the Advocacy Network, visit ASCO's Grassroots Action Center.
ASCO Extends Resources to Practice Administrators ASCO encourages members whose practice administrators are interested in receiving Cancer Policy Today to forward their administrator's contact information to practice@asco.org.
