News Briefs: CMS Dropped Health Equity Elements From EOM

May 08
May 08, 2025

CMS has dropped certain health equity elements of the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) following President Donald Trump’s executive order terminating diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within the federal government, according to an April 22 article in The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC). The successor of the Oncology Care Model (OCM), the EOM, a voluntary, value-based, patient-centered care model, started on July 1, 2023; a second cohort is scheduled to begin July 1, with both cohorts ending June 30, 2030. Practices initially were tasked with providing reports on cost and utilization patterns for patients to help identify and address any health disparities and to screen for health-related social needs, such as limited transportation access to infusion appointments or lack of proper nutrition during treatment. “HRSN [health-related social needs] screening has not been removed from the program,” Lalan Wilfong, M.D., senior vice president for value-based care at Thyme Care, told AJMC, revealing that the change was communicated via revised agreements sent to participating practices. “However, CMS will not require or accept submissions of health equity plans in EOM for 2025 and beyond, which was a previous requirement for the program.” When AJMC asked CMS about tracking HRSNs in the EOM, it replied, “The CMS Innovation Center will remain transparent regarding changes to advance its mission to lower costs and improve quality of care. The Center looks forward to sharing information about next steps, including its new strategic vision, modifications to models to improve their potential for certification and expansion, and new models that empower Americans to live healthier lives while protecting taxpayers.”
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Angela Maas

Angela has an extensive background of editing, reporting and writing for trade and consumer publications. She has written Radar on Specialty Pharmacy since she joined AIS Health in 2005 and has broad knowledge of the various issues at play within the space. She also has written for Spotlight on Market Access since its 2017 launch. Before joining AIS Health, she was managing editor at Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit News Canada and managing editor at Hem Aware (a hemophilia publication), Lupus Living and Momentum (a multiple sclerosis publication). She has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in British literature from Arizona State University.