Proposed Medicare cuts could devastate cancer patients

Rep. Parker Griffith (D-Ala) is one of
the authors of a bipartisan letter to CMS
asking for reconsideration of the cuts

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced proposed changes to Medicare payment rates for physician services including radiation oncology that would cut payments for radiation therapy services to cancer patients by 20%. The proposal was announced on July 13, 2009

The proposal stunned both doctors and patients said the American Society for Radiation Oncology. These cuts would force many cancer centers to close or stop accepting Medicare patients. It would cause  lay offs of support staff and reduce services to cancer patients.

The  American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)  immediately conducted a survey and determined that the proposed 20% cut could impact some practices more than others. Those centers who serve more Medicare patients will experience even higher cuts.

A community based practice in South Carolina reported that the new Medicare proposal would actually result in a 25% reduction in payments.  Community radiation oncology centers would have to close or consolidate their practices to survive.  Consolidation would force many patients to drive longer distances each day for many weeks to receive treatments.

Patients usually receive radiation therapy treatments daily for six to eight weeks. If the center at which they currently receive their radiation treatments were to close or consolidate, 43% of respondents estimated that they will have to drive more than 50 miles round trip,

Many studies have shown that the greater the increase in distance and the time it takes to get to a radiation center the less likely patients, especially elderly patients, will be able to get to their appointments. Many breast cancer patients,  for instance, may choose radical mastectomy rather than having to drive long distances every day for radiation treatment.

One Charlotte based practice is estimating that it will have its funds cut by about 23%. This practice currently provides charity care to uninsured cancer patients. Many more report that they will have to limit the number of Medicare patients they can accept or will have to stop treating Medicare patients altogether.

Surviving community cancer centers and hospital-based facilities will more than likely be unable to handle the surge in patients, particularly in light of the expected rising incidence of cancer.

ASTRO believes these proposed cuts will be devastating to the cancer care. 97% of those responding to the survey said that they believed the quality of radiation oncology would suffer because of the cuts in service.