AMCP Partnership Forum Identifies Key Opportunities to Improve Patient Financial Burden in Oncology and Shift to Value-Based Care Models

Alexandria, Va., Nov. 21, 2017 — Thought leaders representing managed care organizations, providers, patients, biopharmaceutical manufacturers and other stakeholders gathered recently to find solutions to the financial burden of oncology care on patients, while also improving cancer treatment outcomes and advancing the concept of value-based health care. 

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) held a Partnership Forum “Driving Value and Outcomes in Oncology” on Nov. 14 and 15 outside of Washington, D.C. More than 30 experts from across the country discussed topics such as the importance of greater cost transparency for patients, and the need for new quality and value measures.

“Biopharmaceutical innovation is offering new hope for cancer patients that was inconceivable only a few short years ago,” said AMCP CEO Susan A. Cantrell, RPh, CAE. “But at the same time a lack of cost transparency and silos in our health care system can exacerbate the financial burden for patients, and these same factors are driving the need to move to value-based payment models.”

Participants examined and suggested solutions to various factors that lead to patient financial burden in oncology. They also reviewed the state of oncology quality measures and gaps, and identified specific considerations needed to measure value in cancer care. The group’s findings included:

• Patients with cancer in a decentralized health care system confront unique problems, including information gaps in treatment costs, high non-medical treatment costs (e.g. transportation and employment hurdles), inadequate integration and portability of electronic health records, and end of life planning. 
• Health care delivery and innovation in oncology treatments are changing, and insurance benefits along with quality and value measurements must reflect new care delivery models and best practices.
• Insurance benefits must innovate to better support patient engagement and shared decision making, including through the development of oncology specific value-based insurance designs that incentivize patients to choose high-value care.
• The system needs to develop meaningful patient-centered and actionable quality measures, while also retiring quality and process measures that no longer are pertinent.

The November Partnership Forum, AMCP’s second event focusing on value in oncology, builds on results of last year’s forum as well as recent research on gaps in measuring outcomes in oncology care and new cancer medicines. AMCP will use the results of this event to inform future strategic initiatives and advocacy efforts.

The event was made possible through sponsorships by Abbvie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Foundation Medicine, Genentech, Gilead, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck, Sanofi, Takeda Oncology and Xcenda.