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A federal government decision to cut Medicare reimbursements on chemotherapy drugs was like a needle prick to the core of Florida Cancer Specialists.

Announced in early 2013, the 1.7% cut impacted oncology and cancer treatment practices nationwide. Medicare typically paid community oncologists the average price of the drug plus 6% to cover storing and administering the medication. Dropping the reimbursements to 4.3% presented a sizable problem for Fort Myers-based Florida Cancer Specialists. The for-profit firm is one of the largest independent medical oncology/hematology practices in the country. It has 2,000 employees, more than 180 doctors, 110 nurse practitioners and 80 locations across Florida.

“We are trying to survive as community oncologists,” says Florida Cancer Specialists CEO Brad Prechtl, who lives in east Manatee County, along with several other FCS senior executives. “We compete on access, service and outcomes. We want to treat patients with cancer in the communities where they live. We want to make it very patient-centric.”