03/17/2021

Oncologists Request Congress Extend Medicare Sequestration Moratorium Through 2021

Suspending Medicare Sequester Reimbursement Cut Critical to Helping Community Oncology Practices Survive COVID-19 Pandemic and Treat Patients

Community oncologists are asking Congress to extend the suspension of Medicare sequestration through the end of 2021. With the current sequester pause set to expire at the end of March, the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is urging Congress to take action to help independent oncology practices keep their doors open and treat patients with cancer during these unprecedented times.

Click here to read COA’s latest letter asking Congress to extend suspension of Medicare sequestration for 2021.

Last year, the 116th Congress halted the application of sequestration to Medicare reimbursement twice, first through December 31, 2020, and then again through March 31, 2021. With the end of the temporary sequester suspension rapidly approaching, COA is urging Congress to act as soon as possible.

“As frontline providers for the majority of our country’s cancer patients, community oncology practices have had to go to extraordinary lengths to keep their doors open. Our role in the U.S. cancer care system is critical and will become even more so as we see more, and more advancedm cancers post-pandemic,” said Kashyap Patel, MD, president of COA and CEO of Carolina Blood and Cancer Care in Rock Hill, South Carolina. “The financial burden of the pandemic alone on independent practices, especially a small one like ours, has been enormous. We call on the Congress to please help us by stopping sequestration for the rest of the year.”

“Congress must show leadership and come together to stop the damaging Medicare sequester cuts. Failing to halt the sequester threatens the financial viability of the nation’s independent community cancer care providers,” said Ted Okon, executive director of COA. “Community cancer care providers have done the heavy lifting treating patients during this devastating pandemic. Congress must put politics aside and help in the lifting of the sequester.”

Stopping the burden of sequestration has been an important source of financial relief to community oncology practices during the pandemic. Practices remain under extreme pressure to keep their doors open and safely treat patients with cancer. However, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the country and will almost certainly continue well into 2021 until mass quantities of vaccines are available, distributed, and administered. As such, it is critically important to the stability of our nation’s cancer care system that Congress act to stop the application of sequestration to Medicare reimbursement through the end of 2021.

Read COA’s full letter asking Congress to extend suspension of Medicare sequestration for the remainder of 2021 at CLICK HERE