Minnesota Oncology Leverages Value-Based Care Experience in EOM Transition

Key Insights

• Minnesota Oncology joins CMS's Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM), building on their established partnerships with payers and commitment to value-based care delivery.
• The practice emphasizes cost management through biosimilar adoption and clinical pathways while maintaining quality patient outcomes in the program's seven key disease states.
• Collaboration within the US Oncology network enables sharing of best practices and interventions across different regions to optimize EOM implementation.

Minnesota Oncology has embraced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM), leveraging their extensive experience in value-based care delivery to enhance cost management while maintaining high-quality patient outcomes.

Strategic Focus on Value-Based Care

Dr. Kirollos Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, FACCC, director of pharmacy at Minnesota Oncology, describes the practice's decision to join EOM as "almost a no-brainer." The organization's established partnerships with local and national payers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, have demonstrated their ability to reduce costs without compromising clinical benefits.

Cost Management Initiatives

With drug costs driving healthcare spending, the practice has implemented several strategic initiatives under EOM:

• Early adoption of biosimilars upon market entry
• Implementation of clinical pathways that consider total cost of care
• Evaluation of treatment regimens based on comparative clinical profiles
• Integration of social determinants of health considerations

Collaborative Network Benefits

As part of the US Oncology network, Minnesota Oncology benefits from shared learning opportunities across multiple participating practices. "It takes a village," notes Dr. Hanna, highlighting the value of cross-regional collaboration in developing effective interventions and sharing best practices.

Focus on Key Disease States

The EOM model emphasizes cost analysis across seven primary disease states, with drug costs accounting for 70% of the evaluation. This aligns with Minnesota Oncology's existing approach to cost containment through evidence-based pathway selection and strategic biosimilar adoption.

Multi-Stakeholder Engagement

The practice maintains strong relationships with various stakeholders, including:

• Local healthcare organizations
• National payer networks
• Other US Oncology practices
• Healthcare providers across multiple specialties

This collaborative approach enables comprehensive care delivery while managing costs effectively within the EOM framework.