Radiation oncologists head to Capitol Hill to promote critical initiatives

More than 100 radiation oncology treatment team members and resident physicians convened in Washington Monday and Tuesday to represent radiation oncology on Capitol Hill at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO) eighth annual Advocacy Day.
Participants spent Monday hearing from members of Congress and key congressional staff on the latest legislative activity and ASTRO'’s legislative agenda. On Tuesday, the group headed to House and Senate office buildings to meet with senators, congressmen and staffers from their home states to promote agenda items important to the safety and well-being of cancer patients.

This year's legislative priorities focused on ensuring patients receive the safest, most effective radiation treatments, protecting patient choice and preserving the integrity of the Medicare program by ending self-referral abuses in cancer care, stabilizing Medicare physician payments and protecting access to radiation oncology services, and maintaining current investments in cancer research by supporting sustainable and predictable funding.

Participants also told Congress about progress on Target Safely, ASTRO's patient protection plan established in 2010 to enhance patient safety and quality initiatives. A key feature of Target Safely is advocating for immediate passage of the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence in Medical Imaging in Radiation Therapy (CARE) Act, which would establish minimum education and credentialing standards for radiation therapy personnel.

"Making the needs of cancer patients heard on Capitol Hill is critical to the future of quality patient care," C. Leland Rogers, M.D., ASTRO Government Relations Council chairman and a radiation oncologist at Gamma West Cancer Services in Salt Lake City, said. "ASTRO members know that taking time to come to Washington is a core part of their professional responsibility to their specialty and their patients. We are pleased with Congress' responsiveness to our health policy concerns and our plans for advancing initiatives that are important to cancer patients and their caregivers."

To learn more about ASTRO's legislative initiatives visit www.astro.org/governmentrelations.