Specialty Groups — Oncology
ACOA President’s Letter
November/December 2002
Welcome to the American College of Oncology Administrator’s web-page.
This issue of the Journal of Oncology Management focuses on reimbursement issues in oncology. Reimbursement in all aspects of oncology programs and physician practices is a complicated and requires expertise to manage successfully. We should expect that in the future, reimbursement will continue to increase in complexity as payors continue to limit payments to providers. This trend will only be exacerbated as new oncology technologies and capabilities that are introduced into the field outpace payors ability to understand their role and provide approval for reimbursement.
The importance of understanding and staying current with cancer program and oncology practice reimbursement has been a priority with the American College of Oncology Administrators and with the Journal of Oncology Management. Beginning this year, the Journal of Oncology Management introduced a standing column on coding issues. Further, reimbursement is one of the important topics discussed at the November ACOA education session titled “Making Payors Pay”.
The challenge to all cancer program executives and oncology practice administrators is to develop methods to maintain a current understanding of reimbursement and contracting methodologies and to use that information in formulating strategies and goals for the organizations they represent. The long term viability of the organization that you as administrators and practice managers support depends on it.
Joseph M. Spallina, FAAMA, FACHE
President
American College of Oncology Administrators
[email protected]