Insurers Push For Doctors To Follow Guided Cancer Treatment Plans
Insurers are attempting to curb cancer treatment costs by incentivizing doctors to follow specific treatment pathways and protocols.
Oncology practices currently buy cancer treatment medications up front, and are reimbursed by
Insurers are now trying to create an alternative system that would curb costs and still provide the best treatments to patients. The effort is led by the country's No. 2 insurer, WellPoint.
Beginning
Upon full implementation, WellPoint expects the program will cut cancer treatment costs around three to four percent, totaling some
Spending on cancer drugs in the U.S. has jumped 19 percent in the last 5 years with
"Oncologist reimbursement at the moment is a broken system," said
"We're creating revenue neutrality so better care can be given," he added.
Doctors and specialists are open to the idea but some do express concerns about how it will affect treatment. While
Professor
Aetna,
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