[Skip to Navigation]
Sign In
Viewpoint
March 2016

Oncology Pathways—Preventing a Good Idea From Going Bad

Author Affiliations
  • 1Section of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
  • 2The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Ft Worth, Texas
JAMA Oncol. 2016;2(3):297-298. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.5778

In July 2014, WellPoint launched a national program to pay oncologists for adhering to cancer care pathways specified by the insurer.1 Other insurance carriers, as well as Medicare, are looking at this initiative to judge its success before embarking on their own programs. These programs should concern practicing oncologists who might one day face the prospect of managing patients based on payers’ preferences rather than agreed-upon pathways of care that apply to all patients, regardless of who pays the bill.

Add or change institution
×