Medicare Announces Updates to the Enhancing Oncology Model
On May 30th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center announced notable changes to the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM). This multi-payer model requires participating oncology practices to enhance their capabilities in specific ways to ensure patient-centered care, including providing 24/7 access to a clinician with access to the medical record; providing patient navigation; screening for health-related social needs; and implementing electronic patient reporting of symptoms, function, and behavioral health, and social needs. Furthermore, there are a number of palliative care-relevant measures in the EOM.
Beginning January 1, 2025, changes to the EOM include:
- Extending the model for two years, until June 2030
- Making a higher monthly payment for enhanced services (from $70 to $110)
- Raising the threshold for the point in which participants are required to pay back CMS for costs related to patient care
Additionally, CMS released a Request for Applications (RFA) for a second cohort of participants. This RFA explicitly mentions “incorporation of palliative care throughout the course of treatment” for patients as one of the expectations of EOM participation and lists palliative care as an option for applying Physician Group Practice’s (PGP’s) “areas of medical specialty.” Applications are due September 16, 2024, and the second cohort will begin participation on July 1, 2025.