According to a recently released report, commissioned by the Community Oncology Alliance, reimbursement-related changes made to Medicare - the US’ federal health plan for the aged – are probably detrimental to some crucial aspects of cancer care in the country.

Calling for an immediate attention from Medicare, and underlining the need for healthcare reform in Congress, the report noted that a large number of centers that provide cancer care are running into losses, and some of them are on the verge of becoming insolvent.

Commenting on the findings of the report, Dr. David Eagle of the Community Oncology Alliance, which advocates for oncologists outside of big hospital centers, said: “For some patients, particularly in rural areas, it means the infusion clinic that is close to them will close.”

With the American Cancer Society having reported that 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed of cancer each year, the alliance has complained that changes in the Medicare reimbursement plan have led to an inadvertent slash in the payments to cancer specialists.

Noting that community oncology practices treat almost 85 percent of cancer patients in the US; and that Medicare payments comprise 56 percent of the expenses undertaken for delivering chemotherapy, Ted Okon, the Alliance’s executive director, said: “Under the rules, this 56 percent will go down by 20 percent to 45 percent in 2013;” thereby spelling a $500,000 yearly loss for average practice.