Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute Applies For

Fort Myers, Fla., Oct. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC (FCS) has submitted an application to participate in Medicare’s Enhancing Oncology Care Model (EOM), an alternative payment model that aims to address healthcare inequities, reduce costs and improve and report outcomes for cancer patients.

Similar to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Oncology Care Model (OCM), which launched in 2016 and ended June 30, 2022, the EOM is a voluntary 5 year-model , starting on July 1, 2023 and looking to incorporate health-related social needs (HRSNs) and challenges for enrolled beneficiaries while concurrently aiming to improve quality and reduce the overall cost of healthcare through payment incentives and required participant redesign activities (PRAs). EOM will focus on patients diagnosed with seven common cancers (high-risk breast, chronic leukemia, small intestine/colorectal, lung, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and high-intensity prostate) who are undergoing systemic chemotherapy.  

“The goals of EOM embody our cultural values and align with our steadfast commitment to delivering world-class, value-based oncology care in communities across Florida,” said FCS Chief Executive Officer Nathan H. Walcker. “FCS is on the leading edge of healthcare transformation. We will continue to leverage our principles and infrastructure to further improve access for all patients, improve care coordination and outcomes, and reduce Medicare program spending over time.”

Michael Diaz, MD, FCS President & Managing Physician, said, “We continue to scale our precision oncology capabilities that are enhancing patient experiences, advancing cancer care and improving cure rates.” Diaz noted that FCS’ propriety precision oncology knowledge base of data and genomic variant information derived from in-house next-generation sequencing is a key component of achieving the EOM’s intended results, by…