About NCTA

The National Cancer Treatment Alliance (NCTA) is a national network of independent community oncology practices that works with employers to ensure their employees have access to high-quality, high-value, and local cancer care. The NCTA network is made up of practices who want to give employers and patients more choices for cancer care outside of the high-cost institutional setting. 

NCTA is a for-profit benefit corporation that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a national nonprofit dedicated to advocating for independent community oncology providers.  

Why does NCTA exist?

NCTA exists to offer employers and their employees a choice when it comes to cancer treatment.  

We know that employers and health plan sponsors are increasingly frustrated by an expensive and complex cancer care system that is not patient friendly. This environment has led to a lack of comprehensive health care solutions that balance employee wellbeing and the fundamental issues of quality and cost.
 

Despite the challenges, employers continue to want their employees to receive the highest-quality, most affordable and accessible cancer care that is close to home. Because they know that when patients can access high-quality, high-value care close to home, it helps them maintain a sense of normalcy during an extremely challenging time.  

How Does NCTA Function?

NCTA is the bridge between self-funded employers and providers of high-quality, affordable, local cancer care. This means that we: 

  • Maintain a database of member practices who are independent, community providers of high-quality and high-value cancer care.  
    • Offer this database to self-funded employers across the country who wish to offer their employees high-quality, local, low-cost cancer care. 
    • Once NCTA makes this connection, NCTA practices work directly with the employers on their own behalf. 

NCTA also features a Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) that legally negotiates contracts on behalf of CIN member practices to control cost, ensure quality, and work on benefit designs that are unique to the individual patient’s needs and circumstances.   

What is the CIN?

The CIN is a subset of NCTA practices who wish to directly contract with self-funded employer groups. The CIN model helps practices to lower costs, improve outcomes, improve the patient experience, and improve the well-being of health care providers. 

In the CIN, practices share data and adhere to benchmarking metrics and criteria that demonstrate high-quality and evidence-based cancer care. The CIN network directly contracts on behalf of CIN practices with local, self-funded employers.