Special report: the Oncology Care Model, 10 years later

July, 1, 2026, will mark 10 years since the launch of the OCM, perhaps the most ambitious of the alternative payment models from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Although official reports from Abt Global have centered on financial loses to Medicare, due to generous payments to oncology practices for required services, oncology practice leaders have insisted that the true legacy of the OCM has been overlooked; in their view, the model transformed everyday practice and physician thinking about their responsibility for what happened beyond the 4 walls of the cancer clinic. This qualitative look at the OCM features interviews with physicians and other key leaders involved in the OCM’s early days. The author integrates recent scholarship that takes note of flaws in the OCM model and other considerations when evaluating long-term Medicare savings.