At the end of February, Ted Okon, MBA, executive director of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), answered questions on Twitter about the latest trends in cancer care and discussed COA’s concerns with the president’s moonshot initiative and the 340B drug pricing program.

If you missed the chat, here’s a look at the best of the best.  We started the discussion with the cancer moonshot:

The president’s budget proposed cuts to how Medicare payments for cancer drugs. COA President Bruce Gould, MD, said in a statement: “These cuts to cancer care increase costs to patients and handicap community cancer practices that are the primary participants in vital clinical trials. The President calls for a moonshot on cancer but his budget, with misguided cuts and insufficient research funding, scuttles the rocket before it even gets to the launch pad.”

In addition, Okon tweeted that the budget would destroy community oncology.

Next the conversation moved on to the controversial 340B program.

One of the resources Okon pointed to was an article written by Rena M. Conti, PhD, in New England Journal of Medicine, which claimed the program was too vast and suggested better targeting of the 340B program would improve affordability for patients and payers.

Dr Conti also co-wrote an article for the December 2015 issue of Evidence-Based Oncology suggesting 3 possible steps to enhance the function of 340B.

With all of healthcare moving to value-based care, oncology will follow. Okon and COA acknowledge that alternative payment models are not a fad and that they will change cancer care.

Later, Okon mentioned that the Oncology Medical Home initiative is one way to better align physician compensation to value and healthcare quality.

The Oncology Medical Home recently added a new partner, Midwest Business Group on Health, which represents 4-6 million covered lives. COA also continues to fine tune the initiative:

Finally, Okon discussed consolidation in healthcare, and how it specifically affects oncology. One factor that has consolidation happening at an “alarming rate” in cancer care is the 340B program.

To Read Ted Okon’s Twitter feed, visit AJMC.com