The Latest in ASTCT Advocacy: August 2024
3rd Annual ACCESS Initiative Workshop: Access and Outcomes
The 3rd Annual ACCESS Initiative was held on July 23-25, 2024 in Washington D.C. The group discussed the latest updates from ongoing ACCESS projects and met with government partners on new opportunities for collaboration.
Part of this year’s ACCESS workshop included an Advocacy Day that was held on July 25th. Representatives from ASTCT and NMDP went to Capitol Hill and met with their Congressional representatives to advocate for patient access to lifesaving therapies. Additionally, the ACCESS Initiative held a Hill Briefing on the importance of access in transplant. Drs. Stella Davies, Jeff Auletta, and Dianna Howard presented to a group of staffers in the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing room. For more information on the ACCESS Initiative and partnership between ASTCT and NMDP please click below.
2024 Hill Day: Advocating for Patient Access to Cell Therapies
ASTCT's Hill Day will be held this year on September 9 and 10th in Washington D.C.
Members from ASTCT Government Relations Committee and Board of Directors will be participating in Congressional meetings with their respective representatives.
The attendees will be advocating for the field of transplant with the following asks of Congress:
• Support for the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act (H.R. 4758/S. 2372): This bill seeks to remove barriers for pediatric patients on Medicaid to access out-of-state care without delay.
• Support for the Alleviating Barriers to Caregivers Act (H.R. 8018/S. 3109): Aimed at reducing administrative burdens on family caregivers, this act would streamline eligibility and application processes across key federal programs.
• Medicaid Mandate for Out-of-State Medicare Enrollee Benefit: A request to federally mandate that when out-of-state treatment is authorized, states accept Medicare enrollment as sufficient for Medicaid payment.
• Increased Funding for the NIH: Supporting NIH funding is vital to advancing innovative and curative therapies for immunocompromised oncology patients.
By supporting these key legislative asks, ASTCT will drive meaningful change that benefits patients, caregivers and healthcare providers alike.
OPPS and MPFS Proposed Rules Released: Key Points & Call for Member Comments
The OPPS and MPFS proposed rules were released on June 10, and comments to CMS are due on Monday, September 9th.
Key takeaways include:
• Proposed physician and hospital payment status indicators and rates for the new Category I CAR-T CPT codes.
• Proposal to remove CAR-T products from OPPS C-APCs for CY 2025.
• Various proposals impacting payment for telehealth, E/M codes, payment for non-opioid pain relief, dental coverage, caregiver training and infectious disease codes.
You can access ASTCT comments to CMS here.
ASTCT also encourages members to submit their own comments to CMS. Comments can be submitted via this website and are due by September 9, 2024.
IPPS, OPPS and MPFS Webinar Recording Available
ASTCT hosted a webinar on the Medicare Proposed and Final Rule Updates for 2024 and 2025. We reviewed the OPPS, MPFS and IPPS rules and key takeaways that will be included in our comment letters to the agency.
Director of Government Relations Alycia Maloney, JD, and experts from Nimitt Consulting covered key updates from the FY 2025 IPPS Final Rule, OPPS Proposed Rule and MPFS Proposed Rule, including payment rates and policies for stem cell transplants, CAR-T and gene therapies. The slides and the recording of the August 14th webinar can be found here.