Community Oncology Leaders Advocate in Washington to Protect Patient Access to Cancer Care

Washington, D.C. | May 15, 2026

This week, more than 25 independent community oncology physicians from across the country, representing The US Oncology Network, traveled to Washington, D.C. for their annual Physician Fly-In, meeting with more than 35 Members of Congress and key staff to advocate for H.R. 4299, the Protecting Patient Access to Cancer and Complex Therapies Act.

Physician leaders delivered a clear message: efforts to lower drug costs must not come at the expense of patient access to care.

Beginning in 2028, changes under Medicare’s drug price negotiation program will require providers to shift from Average Sales Price (ASP) to Maximum Fair Price (MFP) reimbursement for certain therapies. For many oncology drugs, this is projected to reduce payments by 40-60% or more, forcing community practices to potentially administer treatments at a loss or at an unsustainable reduction in reimbursement.

Without a fix, practices may be forced to limit services or stop offering certain therapies. As a result, patients may have to travel farther and pay more for care in hospital-based settings. H.R. 4299 provides a targeted solution by maintaining stable reimbursement for providers, preserving savings for Medicare and lower costs for patients, while preventing unnecessary migration of care to higher-cost settings.

During the fly-in, physicians met with bipartisan leaders across both chambers to share real-world patient impacts and reinforce the importance of protecting community-based care, including Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC); Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA); Sen. John Barrasso, MD (R-WY); Rep. Ami Bera, MD (D-CA); Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA); Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN); Rep. John Joyce, MD (R-PA); and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) among other bipartisan leaders.

Physicians from across The US Oncology Network participating in the fly-in included: Les Busby, MD; Gury Doshi, MD; Randy Drosick, MD; Destry Elms, MD; Paul Fishkin, MD; Kash Firozvi, MD; Ryan Funk, MD; Jennifer Gordon, MD; Lucio Gordan, MD; Manish Gupta, MD; Brian Heller, MD; Mike Herman, MD; Rich Ingram, MD; Andrew Jackson, MD; Guillermo Lazo, MD; Amy McNally, MD; Richard McDonough, MD; Joseph Mock, MD; Debra Patt, MD; Steve Paulson, MD; John Schuler, MD; David Spigel, MD; Jamie Terry, MD; and David Wenk, MD.

The Network also hosted a congressional staff briefing on H.R. 4299 with Congressman Greg Murphy, MD, featuring a panel of leading oncology experts, including Debra Patt, MD, President of the Community Oncology Alliance and Executive Vice President of Texas Oncology; David Spigel, MD, President and Chief Medical Officer of Sarah Cannon Research Institute and Medical Oncologist with SCRI Oncology Partners; Jennifer Gordon, MD, Gynecologic Oncologist at Willamette Valley Cancer Institute; and Devon Womack, President of The US Oncology Network.

H.R. 4299 ensures drug pricing reforms deliver lower costs for patients and taxpayers, without sacrificing access to life-saving cancer care in the communities where patients need it most.