Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act Reintroduced
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CMS Heeds Patient Concerns and Removes Proposed Barrier to Pain Care in Final Medicare Rule
Statement of Christopher W. Hansen, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
April 4, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 4, 2018 – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final Medicare rule yesterday that did not include a proposal that would have set hard limits on opioid pain medication at the pharmacy unless an insurer authorized special permission for a larger dose.
The limit was proposed to curb misuse and abuse of opioids, but ACS CAN joined a number of doctor and patient groups filing comments expressing concern that the provision could have unintended consequences for cancer patients, survivors and others with chronic or serious illness. The final rule stripped the provision and replaced it with a requirement that pharmacists reconfirm prescriptions and coordinate care with prescribing physicians.
A comment from ACS CAN President Chris Hansen follows:
“The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network applauds CMS for listening to patient concerns and arriving at a final policy that minimizes barriers to appropriate pain care for cancer patients and others who are in legitimate pain.
“We fully appreciate and support the need to address the public health crisis of the opioid addiction epidemic due to abuse and misuse. On behalf of those with a history of cancer, ACS CAN urges the administration to continue to consider balanced pain policy that curbs abuse, while not resulting in unintended barriers that could disrupt appropriate and critical pain care.”
The limit was proposed to curb misuse and abuse of opioids, but ACS CAN joined a number of doctor and patient groups filing comments expressing concern that the provision could have unintended consequences for cancer patients, survivors and others with chronic or serious illness. The final rule stripped the provision and replaced it with a requirement that pharmacists reconfirm prescriptions and coordinate care with prescribing physicians.
A comment from ACS CAN President Chris Hansen follows:
“The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network applauds CMS for listening to patient concerns and arriving at a final policy that minimizes barriers to appropriate pain care for cancer patients and others who are in legitimate pain.
“We fully appreciate and support the need to address the public health crisis of the opioid addiction epidemic due to abuse and misuse. On behalf of those with a history of cancer, ACS CAN urges the administration to continue to consider balanced pain policy that curbs abuse, while not resulting in unintended barriers that could disrupt appropriate and critical pain care.”
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