ROCR Act Reintroduced in Congress

March 14, 2025 — Some other pivotal milestone within the country’s battle in opposition to most cancers just lately came about with the reintroduction of bipartisan federal law to change into Medicare compensation for radiation remedy.

The Radiation Oncology Case Price (ROCR) Price Primarily based Fee Program Act of 2025, backed by way of Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), John Joyce, MD (R-Pa.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), would give protection to get admission to to top quality most cancers care and fortify results for sufferers national, whilst producing financial savings for Medicare.

The ROCR Act supplies a patient-centered approach to modernize how Medicare reimburses radiation remedy services and products. By way of moving clear of the present quantity-based, per-treatment gadget to patient-focused, episode-based bills, ROCR prioritizes the standard and worth of care equipped — reasonably than the choice of medicine visits. Passage of the ROCR Act would serve for example of bipartisan congressional motion towards value-based cost coverage for The united states’s well being care gadget.

“The ROCR Act represents a balanced, evidence-based coverage approach to safeguard get admission to to top price most cancers medicine for American citizens, and it’s the simplest viable coverage resolution designed to offer cost steadiness for the sphere of radiation oncology in 2026 and past,” mentioned Howard M. Sandler, MD, FASTRO, Chair of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Board of Administrators. “ASTRO applauds Sen. Tillis, Sen. Peters, Rep. Fitzpatrick, Rep. Panetta, Rep. Joyce and Rep. Tonko for championing a forward-thinking, patient-centered coverage that assists in keeping high quality and worth on the center of most cancers care.”

ROCR is extensively supported by way of greater than 80 organizations representing a large spectrum of radiation oncology stakeholders, together with affected person advocates, well being pros, small and big medical institution techniques, impartial clinics and era firms. Its advent follows years of diminishing returns within the radiation oncology compensation panorama, marked by way of declining Medicare bills — with cuts totaling greater than 25% since 2013 — in addition to emerging observe prices and an build up within the choice of American citizens wanting most cancers remedies. A fresh learn about discovered that those and different elements have contributed to observe consolidation, with a 51% build up in massive practices and 27% lower in solo practices between 2015 and 2023.

Key options of the ROCR Act of 2025 come with:

• Affected person particular episode-based bills that align monetary incentives with guideline-driven care supported by way of science

• Encouraging the adoption of evidence-based shorter remedies when they’re clinically made up our minds to be within the affected person’s easiest hobby, minimizing bodily and fiscal burdens on sufferers

• Strengthening high quality and protection requirements by way of incentivizing observe accreditation and supporting new applied sciences for affected person care

• Centered make stronger to take on transportation obstacles that stay sufferers from finishing their radiation remedies

• Unifying technical bills throughout medical institution and freestanding/neighborhood observe settings

• Producing tens of millions of greenbacks in Medicare financial savings whilst making sure that greater than 1,000,000 American citizens who obtain radiation remedy for most cancers each and every yr take care of get admission to to the most productive imaginable medicine

“The ROCR Act modernizes Medicare’s cost gadget to make sure most cancers sufferers obtain the most productive care imaginable,” mentioned Sen. Tillis. “Present compensation insurance policies praise number over high quality, making it tougher for physicians to give you the adapted, fine quality care most cancers sufferers deserve. This bipartisan invoice fixes this by way of moving to an even, bundled cost type that eliminates incentives for longer remedies, helps innovation, and guarantees persevered get admission to to world-class care.”

“Radiation oncology is a extremely efficient software for preventing positive cancers, however out of date Medicare compensation insurance policies save you many American citizens from having the ability to make the most of this medicine,” mentioned Sen. Peters. “I’m proud to assist lead this bipartisan invoice that would scale back obstacles to this very important deal with most cancers sufferers and make sure oncologists can prescribe the most productive medicine to be had for his or her sufferers.”

ROCR builds on courses realized from the indefinitely behind schedule Medicare Radiation Oncology Selection Fee Fashion (RO Fashion), which introduced adjustments however didn’t adequately cope with stakeholders’ considerations. The bipartisan ROCR invoice accommodates the RO Fashion’s strengths, particularly the usage of episode-based bills to make stronger patient-centric care, whilst addressing shortcomings corresponding to mandated cuts and burdensome reporting necessities. ROCR used to be presented closing yr within the earlier Congress by way of Sen. Tillis and Reps. Fitzpatrick, Panetta, Joyce and Tonko, with 10 further contributors of Congress becoming a member of as cosponsors.

ASTRO urges all contributors of Congress to make stronger this invoice and assist herald a brand new technology of evidence-backed, bipartisan coverage answers to safeguard American citizens’ get admission to to top quality, top price most cancers medicine of their communities.