Impact of reimbursement and health care reform on the ambulatory oncology setting.
Changes in reimbursement and health care reform permeate all practice settings of oncology care today. Chemotherapy and biologic regimens used in cancer therapy are easy targets for reimbursement denials because of regulations against their investigational status, "off-label" usage, methods of administration, and high cost. The clinician requires a knowledge of health care trends, different types of reimbursement, reimbursement issues unique to ambulatory oncology care, and strategies useful in resolving billing issues.