DALLAS – Texas Oncology, one of the largest community-based oncology practices in the U.S., announced today its intention to participate in Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM), a significant new value-based care program from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). EOM is a five-year program that begins on July 1, 2023.
EOM is a follow-up to CMMI’s Oncology Care Model (OCM), a five-year program that ended in June 2022. Texas Oncology's successful performance in OCM included meeting and exceeding the program’s stringent quality care requirements while saving hundreds of millions of dollars on cancer care for Medicare patients. EOM, like its predecessor program OCM, seeks to advance the transition in healthcare from a fee-for-service model to a greater focus on compensation based on patient outcomes following episodes of comprehensive care.
“Better patient care and improved cost-effectiveness are our priorities – and they are interrelated. The new EOM program will help us achieve both,” said Steve Paulson, M.D., president and CEO, Texas Oncology. “With our track record for meeting the high bar set in value-based care programs like OCM, we are confident that Texas Oncology will deliver results in EOM that directly benefit our patients and deliver savings to Medicare.”
EOM supports one of the Cancer Moonshot initiative’s key goals, to improve patient experience. EOM focuses on seven specific cancer types, including lung cancer, small intestine/colorectal cancer, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, chronic leukemia, high-risk breast cancer treated with chemotherapy, and high-risk prostate cancer treated with chemotherapy.
The model requires oncology practices to provide patients with enhanced services, such as 24/7 access to a clinician, patient navigation services, a detailed care plan, and screenings for health-related social needs, such as transportation issues and nutritional needs. Practices that meet EOM program measurement goals are eligible for incentive payments.
“Our commitment to value-based care is central to how we deliver care, which emphasizes putting patients first and addressing their comprehensive needs, including clinical, emotional, financial, and other,” said Susan Escudier, M.D., FACP, medical oncologist and hematologist, and medical director of value-based care programs at Texas Oncology. “We welcome the opportunity that EOM provides for continuous improvement in the care our patients receive.”
In addition to EOM, Texas Oncology has participated in contracted value-based care programs with several commercial payers. For more information, see the whitepaper, “Putting Patients First: How Texas Oncology Delivers Quality and Value in Cancer Care.”