The November 6 session of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC) 10th Annual Summit was moderated by Burt Zweigenhaft, PhD, D.Litt., Co-Founder of AVBCC, and featured experts from all branches of the healthcare field, including:
- Chevon Rariy, MD
National Director, Telehealth, Cancer Treatment Centers of America - Art Taft, MBA, MEng
Partner, MedWorks Consulting LLC - Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
Co-Founder, Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators - Jonathan Levitt, Esq
Co-Founding Partner, Frier Levitt Attorneys at Law - J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP
Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer, American Cancer Society - Pamela Pelizzari, MPH
Principal and Healthcare Consultant, Milliman - Steven Peskin, MD, MBA, FACP
Executive Medical Director, Population Health and Transformation, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey - Michael Kolodziej, MD
Senior Advisor, ADVI Health
The panel members offered perspectives on the future of cancer care post-election. Mr Taft began the session by stressing the unknowns of the future administration, noting that either way we won’t know what action will be implemented for sometime. He said that employers are financially stressed and are currently doubtful about the healthcare system.
From the Wall Street perspective, Attorney Levitt said that healthcare stocks have risen in the past 5 days, predicting a good future for them.
Ms Pelizzari remarked that oncology value-based programs are not at risk either way, as President Obama’s and President Trump’s administrations both supported these programs.
Dr Kolodziej predicted a drug pricing reform in the future.
Ms Shockney expressed her concern for patients with cancer who are feeling anxiety in the current climate. She noted that they are anticipating loss of healthcare and are in fear for their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We can deliver some very high-quality care in this country, but we don’t do it uniformly and too many people fall through the cracks,” said Dr Lichtenfeld.
Dr Rariy said that there are concerns outside of cancer care post-election. We are a nation divided, and looking forward, she believes we need to be cognizant of the storm that we are in. We have a unique opportunity to fix the healthcare gaps that have been exposed during this time, and telehealth has shown that it can provide a substantial solution to bridge gaps and increase access in this country.
It is not too late to register for the AVBCC Summit! With more than 6 weeks left, the agenda is packed with timely insights and no-holds-barred debates that you need to understand today’s cancer care ecosystem and trends for the future.
