Dr. Joseph Buscema Pens Op-Ed on Site Neutral Payment Reform

Dr. Joseph Buscema, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology – Tuscon, published an op-ed in the Arizona Daily Star sharing his insight on how patients’ access to community cancer care is being threatened by site of service payment differentials that favor hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs).

In the op-ed, Dr. Buscema shared the need for Congress to act on site neutral payment reform and thanked Rep. Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) for her leadership in introducing H.R. 4473, the Medicare Patient Access to Cancer Treatment Act. Dr. Buscema also highlighted how independent cancer centers provide tremendous value for patients and caregivers, offering convenient cancer care at a lower cost. “Despite these benefits, our healthcare system allows hospitals to charge and receive drastically higher payments than small, independent physician practices—for the same service,” Dr. Buscema explained. “With these dramatic differences in reimbursement, large hospitals and health systems are incentivized to buy up independent physician practices, put their name on the door, and charge higher rates for the same services.”

Dr. Buscema went on to describe how these differences in payment are driving physicians out of private practice, making it more difficult for patients to find care outside of the hospital setting. In light of these trends, Dr. Buscema expressed his support for the MPACT Act, and urged policymakers to advance this bill quickly.

To read Dr. Joseph Buscema’s op-ed in the Arizona Daily Star, CLICK HERE.

To read the full text of the Medicare Patient Access to Cancer Treatment Act, CLICK HERE.