Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Notifications may be on the way if you submitted LOI.

You can soon anticipate a notification from CMS if you submitted a letter of intent (LOI) for your practice to participate in the Oncology Care Model (“OCM”). CMS is expected to release notifications to selected practices in early 2016. This program, expected to begin in September this year, is projected to be a five year model driven by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).

HHS Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell stated, “It’s my belief that to do that we must find better ways as a country to deliver care, pay providers, and distribute information.” The OCM will help achieve “better care, smarter spending, and healthier people” for patients undergoing chemotherapy. The OCM is likely to provide access to improved and appropriate care. “OCM encourages participating practices to improve care and lower costs through an episode-based payment model that financially incentivizes high-quality, coordinated care,” explains CMS. Besides focusing on cancer patients total costs of care, the OCM will check quality parameters and practice trends to link payments to performance.