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Price Matching
When practices submit price matches all SWON members benefit! Thanks to the watchful eyes of our members, SWON participating practices are driving down drug costs.
Plus the submitting practice will receive a $100 grant for price matches approved through Oncology Supply.
Thanks to Dallas Oncology Consultants for submitting this months price match!
OXALIPLATIN 50MG/10ML SDV LYO
OXALIPLATIN 100MG/20ML SDV LYO
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Lord of the Files
Visit the official blog for guests and subscribers of the Oncology Manager's Briefcase.
Click Here
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Contact Us
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Melissa Welch
Southwest Oncology Network
6921 Shoreview Drive
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Membership Minute
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Since our beginning, SWON has shown steady membership growth. More importantly to our members, SWON paid out more than $208,000 in volume rebates in 2009.
We continually look for additional ways to help our members save on pharmaceutical costs. For example, SWON members will be receiving a quarterly report outlining underwater drugs based on current ASP pricing and the SWON pricing through Oncology Supply. There are currently more than 100 drugs that are underwater based on ZED payment terms. We hope that this report will help our member practices in making purchasing decisions.
Watch your email next week for the full report, based on all payment terms.
If you have suggestions on additional services that SWON might be able to provide to our members please let us know.
Melissa Welch
SWON Membership Manger |
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Federal judge upholds patent protecting Lilly drug
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. said Thursday a federal judge has upheld one of the patents protecting its blockbuster cancer treatment Gemzar, but the drug still faces another challenge in a separate court.
Gemzar, Lilly's sixth best-selling drug, generated about $1.4 billion in sales last year. Lilly has faced patent challenges to Gemzar from generic drug makers Sicor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Mayne Pharma Inc. and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. who want to make their own versions of the drug.
All essentially argue that either the compound or method of use behind the drug are obvious and can't be protected by a patent. The first company to file a patent challenge could gain six months of marketing exclusivity for its generic version if it prevails.
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CMS Tells Contractors to Delay Doc Payments for 10 Days Again | |
Left stranded by Congress taking a two-week holiday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the second time this month has told contractors to delay reimbursements to physicians and other healthcare providers for 10 business days to temporarily avoid the 21.2% Medicare pay cuts that go into effect on April 1
"CMS believes Congress is working to avert the negative update that will take effect April 1. Consequently, CMS has instructed its contractors to hold claims containing services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Update (including anesthesia services) for the first 10 business days of April," CMS said in a media release. "This hold will only affect claims with dates of service April 1, 2010, and forward.
In addition, the hold should have minimum impact on provider cash flow because, under the current law, clean electronic claims are not paid any sooner than 14 calendar days (29 for paper claims) after the date of receipt.
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ASCO Statement on the Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act
While ASCO recognizes that there are strong feelings on both sides of this issue, we are very pleased that the newly passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law this week includes a number of things that will benefit cancer patients in the short term and the long term. However, we also recognize that there is still a lot of work to be done, and we will continue our advocacy on those additional fronts.
ASCO is most pleased that the legislation includes guaranteed insurance coverage for individuals participating in clinical trials. ASCO has been at the forefront of this issue for nearly two decades. Clinical trials remain the cornerstone of cancer research, and are often the patient's best option. Under the new federal law, patients can now afford to participate.
ASCO also supports closing the drug prescription gap in Medicare Part D. As more and more cancer drugs become available in oral form, the drugs have become less affordable for cancer patients. Beginning in 2010, seniors who fall in the "doughnut hole," or, spend between $2,700 and $6,154, will receive a $250 government subsidy to help cover the costs of their medication. By 2020, Medicare will cover 75 percent of drug costs in the "doughnut hole" for Medicare patients.
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Texas physicians petition Congress to fix Medicare funding
This time, you could read their signatures. In bold, clean strokes, North Texas physicians inked their names to a statewide petition drive Monday urging Congress to permanently fix the gap in Medicare funding that they say could cripple the system.
The petition by the Texas Medical Association, launched Monday in seven locations across Texas including Fort Worth, warns congressional leaders that some physicians could be forced to stop accepting Medicare patients if a permanent fix cannot be worked out.
The group is urging Texans from all walks - not just doctors - to sign the online petition at www.MeAndMyDoctor.com.
Medical societies in 10 other states have agreed to join the Texas initiative, and another 30 state groups have expressed interest, officials said.
"My colleagues and I want to continue to take care of our Medicare patients," said Dr. Susan Rudd Bailey, a Fort Worth allergist and president-elect of the state association. "This is a problem that Congress has known about for a long, long time."
A 21.2 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians went into effect April 1 after the latest in more than a decade of stopgap measures from Congress expired. A new temporary measure is expected to be approved in the next week or two in Washington, but physicians say that is not enough.
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Suggested Reading
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57 Good Things About Chemotherapy
By Alec Kalla
(as described on amazon.com)
Rare humor that brings laughter to the halls of oncology, 57 Good Things About Chemotherapy provides precious relief from the stress and worry of cancer. Written by cancer survivor Alec Kalla and illustrated by Andy Williamson, this book makes cancer patients, survivors and caregivers smile, laugh and rid themselves of pentup emotional stress.
For ordering information, click here
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