Community Oncology Alliance expands payer summit with innovation focus

The Community Oncology Alliance is hosting its 2026 Payer Exchange & Innovation Summit Sept. 14-15 in Tysons Corner, Virginia, with a broader agenda centered on innovation in community oncology. The move highlights how independent practices are shaping care delivery, payment, technology and operations as cancer care evolves.

Why it matters: - Community oncology practices are increasingly central to new models for cancer care delivery, payment and operations. - The summit is designed to bring practices, payers, employers and cancer care leaders into the same room to discuss quality, affordability and patient experience. - COA’s expanded focus reflects a push to strengthen independent practices that deliver care close to home.

What happened: - The Community Oncology Alliance is convening the 2026 Payer Exchange & Innovation Summit on Sept. 14-15 in Tysons Corner, Virginia. - The event is invitation-only. - The summit was formerly called the Payer Exchange Summit. - COA expanded the event’s scope in 2026 to put a greater spotlight on innovation in community oncology.

The details: - The agenda includes sessions on artificial intelligence in community oncology. - Other topics include data-driven utilization management, bundled payment models, emerging cellular therapy delivery models and employer-sponsored cancer care. - The summit will also examine COA research on the quality and value of care delivered in community settings. - COA says the event extends the innovation theme highlighted at the 2026 Community Oncology Conference into a forum focused on payers, employers and other stakeholders. - More information and the full agenda are available at the summit website.

Between the lines: - The event signals that independent oncology practices are being positioned not just as care sites, but as testing grounds for new operational and payment approaches. - The workshop format suggests COA wants practical takeaways, not just conference discussion, for practice leaders. - The broader emphasis on innovation also points to growing pressure on community oncology to adapt to payer demands, technology changes and new treatment delivery models.

What's next: - COA will use the summit to surface workable ideas for community practices, payers and employers. - Participants are expected to identify changes they can test in their own practices after the workshop. - The organization will continue building on its practice-support networks, including the COA Administrators’ Network.

The bottom line: - COA is widening its annual payer forum into a more practical innovation meeting for the business and delivery of community oncology. - The goal is to translate discussion into operational changes that could improve cancer care access, cost and patient experience.

New workshop focus: - COA also hosted the Business of Community Oncology Workshop immediately before the summit. - The smaller program focused on the operational fundamentals that help independent oncology practices succeed. - The workshop used an interactive working-session format instead of a traditional conference format. - Community oncology leaders compared performance, shared approaches that work in their practices and identified improvements to try after returning home. - The workshop concluded with participants selecting practical changes to test in their practices. - Shiela Plasencia, COA’s director of practice support, said the workshop was intended to be very practical and to help practice leaders leave with ideas they can put into action. - The workshop builds on COA’s peer-to-peer networks, including the COA Administrators’ Network, which connects practice leaders to share operational strategies and solutions.

About COA: - The Community Oncology Alliance is a nonprofit focused on making high-quality, affordable cancer care available close to home. - COA describes itself as the only national organization focused exclusively on community oncology. - COA supports independent community oncology practices through policy, advocacy and community. - COA says the majority of Americans with cancer receive treatment in community oncology settings.