Navigation Refresh: Revisions to GW Oncology Patient Navigation Training Improve Standards to Meet PIN Reimbursement Requirements

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) started reimbursing patient navigation services for Medicare beneficiaries in 2024 through the annually updated Physician Payment Rule.¹ CMS authorized “auxiliary healthcare staff” to provide Principal Illness Navigation (PIN) and Community Health Integration (CHI) services. The 2025 Physician Payment Rule retains the new G codes issued in 2024 for PIN (G0023, G0024), CHI services (G0019, G0022), and Social Determinants of Health assessment (G0136).² For details on training and credentialing, see CMS Payment for Principal Illness Navigation: How Do I Credential My Navigators?³ For details on implementation considerations, see The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Will Pay for Patient Navigation–Now What?⁴

The GW Oncology Patient Navigation Training: The Fundamentals,⁵ launched in 2015, has provided free training for more than 12,000 patient navigators from over 42 countries. It has been adapted for speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, and American Sign Language.

Given major updates to the patient navigation field, GW is relaunching an updated training in 2025. To update the training, current literature was examined, new standards and resources were gathered, and 15 subject matter experts were asked to suggest updates, revisions, and new resource additions (Table).

Updates to the training included streamlining content, adding new resources, and expanding resources for greater inclusivity. New resources that were included are the AONN+/American Cancer Society Navigation Metrics Toolkit,⁶ AONN+ CATCH Initiative,⁷ the Oncology Navigation Standards of Professional Practice,⁸ the GW Patient Navigation Barriers and Outcomes Tool (PN-BOT),⁹ the GW Community Needs Assessment Guide,¹⁰ and the GW Financial Navigation lesson.¹¹

The newly updated and soon-to-be-launched GW Oncology Patient Navigation Training: The Fundamentals 2025 ensures greater inclusivity to diverse populations, updated evidence and resources critical to the navigation profession, and improvements to the learner experience. The training continues to adhere to CMS training requirements for auxiliary personnel performing PIN services and is estimated to be available at bit.ly/PNTraining by March 17.¹² If you have trouble accessing, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The new course provides 14 continuing education hours for physicians and nurses.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Ari Smith, Annie McDonnell, Kelly Angel, and Dianna Aguilera-Jandres for your tireless efforts on this revision.

References

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 88 C.F.R. 78818. 2023. www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/16/2023-24184/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-cy-2024-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other
2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 89 C.F.R. 97710. 2024. www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/09/2024-25382/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-cy-2025-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other
3. Pratt-Chapman M, McMahon J, Pena N, et al. CMS Payment for Principal Illness Navigation: How Do I Credential My Navigators? Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship. 2024;15(3):68-73.
4. Pratt-Chapman ML, Rocque G, McMahon J, et al. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Will Pay for Patient Navigation: Now What? 2024. www.accc-cancer.org/docs/projects/comprehensive-cancer-care-survey/the-centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services-will-pay-for-patient-navigation-now-what.pdf?sfvrsn=65af3b5e_2&
5. Kashima K, Phillips S, Harvey A, et al. Efficacy of the competency-based oncology patient navigator training. Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship. 2018;9(12):519-524.
6. Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators and American Cancer Society. Navigation Metrics Toolkit. 2020. https://aonnonline.org/images/resources/navigation_tools/2020-AONN-Navigation-Metrics-Toolkit.pdf
7. Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators. CATCH Initiative. https://aonnonline.org/catch
8. Franklin E, Burke S, Dean M, et al. Oncology navigation standards of professional practice. Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship. 2022;13(3):74-85.
9. GW Cancer Center. Patient Navigation Barriers and Outcomes Tool (PN-BOT). https://smhs.gwu.edu/gwci/BarriersTool
10. GW Cancer Center. Implementing the Commission on Cancer Standard 8.1: Addressing Barriers to Care. 2021. https://cancercontroltap.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/30%20-%20CoC%20Standard%208.1%20Road%20Map%20FINAL%20508.pdf
11. GW Cancer Center. Financial Navigation Lesson for Oncology Patient Navigators. 2022. https://cme.smhs.gwu.edu/gw-cancer-center-/content/financial-navigation-lesson-oncology-patient-navigators#group-tabs-node-course-default2
12. GW Cancer Center. Oncology Patient Navigation Training: The Fundamentals. 2025. bit.ly/PNTraining