CMS Would Avoid Some Political Blowback By Excluding Cancer Doctors From Initial Part B Pilots

The administration would be wise to test drug price-cutting policies on ophthalmologists and rheumatologists before expanding demonstrations to cover more politically powerful cancer doctors, health care analysts say, though ophthalmologists and rheumatologists stress that they helped kill the Obama administration’s proposed Part B demo. Colin Edgerton, chair of the American College of Rheumatology’s Committee on Rheumatologic Care, agreed that oncologists have a lot of clout. “Public education and awareness about cancer is arguably higher than for any other disease category...