April 22: NIH and NCI Announce Recovery Act Funding Opportunities; Recent New York Times Articles Highlight Cost of Cancer Drugs

April 22, 2009

On April 20, NCI Director John E. Niederhuber, MD, announced details about the Institute’s plan to use the stimulus funding allocated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Also, last week, The New York Times published an article highlighting cost of care issues faced by some people with cancer who are prescribed oral chemotherapy drugs.

April 8: ASCO Urges House Members to Co-Sponsor ASP Legislation; Reps. Capps and Boustany Introduce the Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act of 2009; ASCO Sends IOM Comparative Effectiveness Research Priorities

March 25: ASCO President Testifies at Congressional Hearing on Funding for Cancer Research, ASCO Member Testifies at IOM Public Hearing on Comparative Effectiveness Research, Update on Status of Prompt Pay Discount Legislation

March 11: Prompt-Pay Legislation Introduced in House of Representatives; President Obama Overturns Stem Cell Policy

January 28: ASCO Urges Lawmakers to Exclude Prompt Pay Discounts from ASP; Oncology Added to Draft CCHIT Roadmap; Chemotherapy Administration Safety Standards Are Available for Public Comment

January 14: Leucovorin Shortage Update, ASCO Comments on 2009 Medicare Physician Payment and HOPPS Regulations, ASCO Highlights Priorities to HHS Agency Review Team

December 19:Year End Update on Cancer Policy Activities

December 10: FDA Issues Q&A on Medication Guides for ESAs; ASCO Launches Health Information Technology Social Networking Site

November 25: Congress Likely to Take Up Additional NIH Funding After Recess; Prepare for Coding Changes in the New Year

November 12: President’s Cancer Panel Releases Report on Combating Cancer; CMS Issues Final Medicare Physician Payment Rule for 2009; New Report Issues Recommendations on Improving Cancer Clinical Trials

October 29: ASCO Issues Comments on ICD-10 Proposed Regulations; CMS Issues Instructions on the Compendia for Off-Label Anti-Cancer Drug Coverage; ASCO Reaches Out to Presidential Campaigns

October 16: ASCO and Komen for the Cure Announce Diversity in Oncology initiative, CMS Announces Permanent Recovery Audit Contractors, OIG Issues 2009 Work Plan

October 1: President Signs Continuing Resolution to Fund Government Programs, New Guidance on Recent ESA Label Changes, Members of Congress Urge Congressional Leadership to Exclude Prompt Pay Discount from ASP