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Congresswoman Hayworth Lauded for Supporting Access to Cancer Care

Fairfax, VA – The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) applauds the work of Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.) for supporting efforts to protect access to cancer care.

“Rep. Hayworth stood with us to significantly limit Medicare’s proposed cuts to radiation therapy,” said Laura I. Thevenot, chief executive officer of ASTRO. “Our members and their patients are extremely grateful for the support and leadership of Rep. Hayworth and colleagues to protect cancer care across the country. Access to high-quality cancer care is vital to increasing treatment success and patient survival.”

On September 24, Rep. Hayworth joined a bipartisan group of more than 100 House colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius protesting Medicare’s proposal to cut radiation oncology payments by an overall 15 percent, with a 19 percent cut to community-based cancer centers.  On November 1, Medicare announced the final rule for the 2013 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which resulted in an overall seven percent reduction in payment for radiation oncology services and an overall nine percent cut to community-based cancer centers.

A similar letter was also sent from the Senate, with almost 30 senators as signatories. The two letters combined sent a strong message to Secretary Sebelius that significant Medicare cuts were inappropriate for cancer care.

For more information about the 2013 MPFS changes for radiation oncology, contact Michelle Kirkwood, 703-286-1600, press@astro.org.

ABOUT ASTRO

ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy. For more information on radiation therapy, visit www.rtanswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visitwww.astro.org.