Adcc Information

The Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers (ADCC) is comprised of 11 nationally recognized comprehensive or clinical cancer centers. The ADCC member cancer centers play a pivotal role in the National Cancer Program, which was enacted by Congress in 1971 to improve the detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Unlike other hospitals, we are singularly dedicated to deepening the understanding of the causes and cures for cancer; developing new treatments for cancer; and disseminating this knowledge to the provider community at large. The Centers' state-of-the-art therapies and research activities offer the greatest possibility for the successful treatment of cancer patients. Much of the recent progress in understanding cancer's biology and effective treatment is directly attributable to the work of the Centers. The Centers founded the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and comprise a significant portion of the membership of National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers. In recognition of their singular focus on cancer and their position at the forefront of new cancer treatments, the Centers have been afforded status within the Medicare program. In general, Medicare reimbursement for hospital services is through a prospective payment system (PPS), which is based on the presumption that hospitals offer an array of services and treat a variety of diseases so that low reimbursement for some treatments is offset by higher reimbursement for others. Such a system is appropriate for the more than 4,500 PPS hospitals that treat a variety of diseases. However, for the 11 Cancer Centers that provide only inpatient and outpatient cancer care, PPS reimbursement was deemed an inappropriate way to pay the Centers because of their disease-specific focus and the 2-year lag under PPS in determining appropriate payment for new services. As a result, Congress exempted the Centers from inpatient PPS, beginning with the implementation of this system in 1983. This recognition by Congress led to ...