This article appeared in the June 2018 issue of ASBMT eNews. Download the full issue in PDF format here.
As researchers and clinicians, our work is rooted in the public good. We get out of bed every single day not only to help patients but to literally save their lives. Our work is incredibly important for our patients because it can lead to them continuing to live an abundant, long life.
Being a part of this public-facing sector also means that we have regulations to consider in our work. These are important not only for properly regulating our field but also ensuring public and patient safety. As new policies and regulations are introduced in our field, it is incumbent on us to ensure the new framework is appropriate for the field and the work we do. We know the ins and outs of blood and marrow transplantation because we do this work every day, and it is necessary for us to actively shape the rules around the work we do.
I say all of this because Stephanie Farnia, our director of health policy and strategic relations, has been doing important work regarding reviewing and providing commentary and context on the recently released Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) coding recommendations. In a recent statement submitted as commentary for a CMS HCPCS meeting on May 16, she and former ASBMT president, Dr. Elizabeth J. Schpall, helped share ASBMT’s position on the recommendations and noted points where ASBMT respectfully disagrees with them. As noted in her Policy Perspective below, she and Dr. Schpall attended the meeting in person to share this feedback, and the statement is available to members and nonmembers to read as well. She will also be hosting a town hall on June 14 for ASBMT members to discuss the recommendations, ask questions and hopefully provide additional context and answers.
I would like to urge members and nonmembers to submit their commentary on these recommendations as they will greatly affect our work. ASBMT will be submitting official comments this week as the deadline for comments is this Friday, June 15. Please review the ASBMT statement on the recommendations and share your feedback with CMS.
On another note, ASBMT has a few exciting events coming up that I’d like to highlight. The first being the ASBMT Clinical Research Training Course, held in July in Park City, Utah. This is an invite-only event for up to 12 scholars to attend the course. This opportunity was created back in 2006 in an effort to help bring the principles of research from the laboratory to the clinic. We’re enormously proud of this program and our chosen scholars, and I know we’re all excited to see their work in the coming years.
The other upcoming event is our Fall Clinical Education Conference. Registration is now open for the event, so be sure to meet us in Nashville September 20-22 (as if you needed a reason to go to Nashville for the weekend). Also, be sure to note that early bird pricing is available until August 3.
We are the experts on the work we do every day, and it’s important that we actively shape the future of the field and how our patients access this care. Please consider attending the town hall this week and providing commentary by the deadline. It’s one more thing to do at the end of the day, but it is certainly time well spent.
Sincerely, John F. DiPersio, M.D., Ph.D. President, ASBMT