Forty comprehensive cancer centers have committed to using new billing codes to provide navigation services for cancer patients as part of the Biden administration's Cancer Moonshot.
On March 8, the White House announced seven major insurers and dozens of cancer centers have pledged to expand access to navigation services. The insurers that signed on — Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Elevance Health, Health Alliance Plan, Humana, Priority Health and Select Health — cover more than 150 million patients.
Navigation professionals work with patients and caregivers from screening through survivorship. Research has shown their services improve access and continuity of cancer care, increase screening rates and improve timeliness of diagnosis. Until this year, nonclinical navigation services were not reimbursable through CMS.
"The Cancer Moonshot's efforts to update the billing codes and drive use among providers and insurers means, for the first time ever, millions of Americans will be able to access much-needed support, like clinical care coordination, health education, patient self-advocacy training, health system navigation, and connection to community-based social services to address food and housing insecurity, transportation needs, or other issues that could interfere with treatment," the White House said.
To support these efforts, the American Cancer Society has launched a national training and credentialing program for cancer institutions aiming to standardize and implement navigation services.
Below are the cancer centers that have committed to using the new billing codes and expanding navigation services:
Abramson Cancer Center (Philadelphia)
AIS Cancer Center at Adventist Health Bakersfield (Calif.)
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
City of Hope (Duarte, Calif.)
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston)
Duke Cancer Institute (Durham, N.C.)
The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (New York City)
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City)
Marian Regional Medical Center | Mission Hope Cancer Center (Santa Maria, Calif.)
Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis)
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (Phoenix and Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (Rochester, Minn.)
Mercy Health (Cincinnati)
Mercy Health System's Oncology Practices
Mercy Health/Lourdes Hospital Cancer Center (Paducah, Ky.)
Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego
Northwell Health (New York City)
Nuvance Health (Danbury, Conn.)
Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport (La.)
Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (Columbus)
Penn State Cancer Institute (Hershey, Pa.)
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (Philadelphia)
St. Elizabeth Healthcare (Edgewood, Ky.)
Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center (Modesto, Calif.)
The Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital Joplin (Mo.)
The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center (Omaha, Neb.)
UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center (Cleveland)
University of Colorado Cancer Center (Aurora, Colo.)
University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (Baltimore)
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (Alburquerque, N.M.)
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center (Pittsburgh)
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (Los Angeles)
UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center (Charlottesville, Va.)
Vail Health Shaw Cancer Center (Edwards, Colo.)
Wilmot Cancer Institute at University of Rochester (N.Y.)
Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute (Little Rock, Ark.)