Mark Sittig, MD

Radiation oncologist at @TNOncology. Formerly a resident @CSCancerCare. Advocating for cancer patients. Tweets = my own views.

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@DrDiGiorgio I would argue that having to charge patients more (premiums, co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles..) with a profit motive where insurers like UHC make BILLIONS/yr in *profit* is not “market efficiency” — it’s wealth transfer from Americans to the investor class. Happy to disagree!

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@DrDiGiorgio Sure, of course. But your initial contention was that private insurance is more efficient with lower overhead as compared with government plans, and then you listed a bunch of tasks MDs/DOs have to do for every patient regardless of insurance, like enter CPT codes.

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@DrDiGiorgio But that wasn’t your argument, right? It was about cost to administer? I’m not here to cheerlead CMS or ongoing payment cuts (I do advocacy for payment stabilization every year). I’m just saying private payors have inefficiencies and bureaucracies that govt run plans do not.

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@AaronGoodman33 @olsonplanner Hope the change isn’t because of overdue modules!

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

New low for @OptumRx — requiring #priorauth for TWO (2) tablets of Ativan for procedural anxiety for an upcoming brain MRI, in a patient who had radiation for a brain tumor.

TWO TABLETS.

[TennesseeOncology @TNOncology]

We are pleased to announce that The Surgical Clinic has joined the Tennessee Oncology family!

To read more information, please click the link below:
https://t.co/niLvPQvViC

#TennesseeOncology #Community #TheSurgicalClnic

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@bananaP08 @JordanJ65544091 @j_luh @sindhu_kunal @tjroycemd @ARRO_org @ArsRocket @ACROresident Another way to make docs into interchangeable widgets. Not good for patients, not good for doctors. Just my 2 cents after hearing the Bridge pitch.

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@JoshuaSchiffMD Congrats! Where are you headed?

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

It’s that time of year…back in DC for another great #ASTROAdvocacy Day! #radoncs from all over the US are here to tell Congress:
🤝 Support the #ROCR Act
⏰It's time to #FixPriorAuth
⬆️ $$ for #cancer research
@ASTRO_org @NIH @theNCI @ARPA_H #CancerSurvivorship

[PDBrown @PDBrownOnc]

2ndCA/Dediff week 4/7
2003 IMRT will double the rate of 2nd Malignancies
2023 No diff btwn 3D and IMRT
https://t.co/l9nQSEe1bW

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@StephanieEWeis1 Also, I’m not sure this is the same Dr. Weiss, but are you the program director at Fox Chase? I’m especially interested in hearing the views of those in charge of training our next generation of rad oncs.

These are important questions and I sincerely appreciate your thoughts!

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

Respectfully, this is a bad take.

Machines above capacity? Where? Again, show the data.

Asking students to match into RO, train 5y, then ‘make their own luck’ is a tough pitch without data.

We all need to do better for the future of RO.

[Jon Strasser @StrasserMD]

@radoncodonk @lemmiwenks @gillies_mckenna Build programs. SBRT, LDRT for OA tons of other benign disease, skin cancer, etc. Machines above capacity

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@StephanieEWeis1 How would you suggest we do better? What is the right way to discuss job market and residency over-expansion concerns shared by many of our colleagues? If there isn’t data to discuss, how should we approach this important issue?

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

Dear @ASTRO_org and @ASTRO_Chair: any thoughts on today’s FTC ruling regarding non-competes?

This would be a great time for ASTRO to stand up and voice support for physicians and department staff.

Please let your members know where you stand on this important issue.

Thanks!

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

And for the record, I’m an @ASTRO_org (and @ACRORadOnc) volunteer. I just wish ASTRO would take a stronger stance. The workforce study was a start, but woefully inadequate.

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

Respectfully, this is a bad take.

Machines above capacity? Where? Again, show the data.

Asking students to match into RO, train 5y, then ‘make their own luck’ is a tough pitch without data.

We all need to do better for the future of RO.

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

This is the only question.

I’m not anti-expansion. I’m pro-data-driven decisions. And there isn’t any macro data to support the extent of expansion.

OA/Oligomets/skin(?) may help the trends but we can & should ask ‘leadership’ to be accountable for the problems they created.

[MROGA @radoncodonk]

@StrasserMD @lemmiwenks @gillies_mckenna Prove it. Fractions down. Courses down. Prove we actually need to train 190+ a year now vs 100-120 like we did 1996-2006.

Where's the data?

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

@JordanJ65544091 But saying “PE won’t be an issue” is kind of premature, right? FTC comments or not, the model your business proposes would allow for good things (rural coverage) as well as not-so-good things (consolidation, APP-managed clinics, decreased MD presence)

[Mark Sittig, MD @MarkSittigMD]

Isn’t virtual direct supervision the crux of the Bridge Oncology business model?

[Jordan Johnson @JordanJ65544091]

@StrasserMD @drbeckta This has not been and wont be an issue and the FTC has already requested input on this. It was also brought up at the E&C hearing last week.
https://t.co/4PJoiTmeVe

[Beth Joyner Waldron @BethWaldron]

"Reality is, formularies should not exist. Doctors should decide what patients need access to, not the PBMs."
- @mcuban