Payors must cover, as a matter of policy, unlabeled indications of drugs and biologics used in anticancer chemotherapy regimens if the uses are listed in one of the compendia or are otherwise supported in the peer-reviewed medical literature. Payors must also provide timely and convenient access to high-quality radiation therapy planning and delivery equipment, as well as to other specialized radiotherapeutic procedures and equipment. Payors must provide access to surgical subspecialty care, including specialized techniques when medically indicated. Payors must further recognize that specialized oncology nursing care and oncology social work are an essential part of multidisciplinary cancer care. Treatment in a clinical trial is often a cancer patient's best option.
Psychosocial services are an important component of cancer care.
These include support groups, counseling by oncology social workers and other trained psychosocial professionals, and medical interventions. People with cancer should receive access to such services, not limited by their previously existing conditions. Supportive care services and effective symptom management are essential to promoting the quality of life for people diagnosed with cancer. Patients must have access to these services and therapies as part of their comprehensive cancer care. Patients must have access to and coverage for hospice services.