Patient Navigation Training and Credentialing: Supporting the Professional Navigation Workforce

The American Cancer Society is launching a standardized training and credentialing program for professional patient navigators, to help health systems and other organizations in delivering this essential support to cancer patients and their families. This program will meet the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements for "Principal Illness Navigation" reimbursement.

Trusted Resources and Expertise

The American Cancer Society is an experienced leader in patient navigation services, working alongside members of the cancer community for more than 30 years. We have funded patient navigators and navigation programs, developed navigation training curricula, united organizations through the American Cancer Society National Navigation Roundtable, and contributed substantially to building the evidence base for patient navigation. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM (ACS CAN), our advocacy affiliate, has championed policies that expand sustainable access to patient navigation to better support people facing cancer.

Now, we expand our patient navigation work with training and credentialing for professionals, working in active partnership with oncology providers and the cancer community to maximize the use of patient navigation across the nation. 

Preparing for Expanded Cancer Navigation: “Principal Illness Navigation”

In the 2024 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed reimbursement for professional, non-clinical patient navigation services for patients with a “Principal Illness,” including cancer and other high-risk conditions.

For the first time, there will be reliable reimbursement pathways to support the professional patient navigation workforce.

In the coming months, the American Cancer Society will:

• Launch a standardized training and credentialing program for professional patient navigators, which meets CMS requirements and best positions navigators to improve patient care and reduce disparities.
• Provide resources and education to help oncology providers make the workflow and infrastructure changes required for the documentation and billing required by Medicare.
• Serve as a national convener of stakeholders interested in the implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of cancer patient navigation.

For more information, please email us at acs-navigation-certification@cancer.org.