As a benefits leader, the phrase “implementation” is probably enough to make you cringe. You’ve been there many times before, dealing with months-long system integrations, endless steering committee meetings and the painful process of launching vendor solutions for what feels like minimal return. You’ve also likely experienced massive undertakings, such as switching health plans or PBMs, which can disrupt your entire organization for just a couple of percentage points in savings.

Implementing an independent Center of Excellence (COE) solution like Lantern, however, is different. You can achieve significant impact on both savings and health outcomes without major disruption because our implementation team designed the process from the ground up to be seamless for you and your team.

What Does “Easy Implementation” of a COE Actually Mean?

We know “easy” can feel like a marketing buzzword. For us, it means minimizing the lift for your team while maximizing the outcomes for your members.

A typical implementation of an independent COE runs about 8-12 weeks. “About 90 days is the sweet spot,” says Kelly O’Brien, Director, Implementation, at Lantern. “For more complex accounts, we may target 3-4 months to ensure every detail is handled smoothly.”

For benefits leaders, the time commitment is surprisingly light. It requires:

• A 60-minute implementation kick-off meeting
• Optional 30-minute bi-weekly status meetings
• A 60-minute review of eligibility requirements with your data provider

Lantern’s dedicated implementation and account team collaborate to address all dimensions of the onboarding process and ongoing operational needs. The implementation manager oversees the detailed project plan, handles the deliverables and keeps you informed every step of the way.

The Data Details: Simpler Than You Think

To get started, Lantern only requires one thing: a member eligibility file. As a fully licensed third-party administrator (TPA), we don’t need the complex, deep integrations that other solutions might. This single file tells us which of your members are eligible for the benefit. From there, we handle the rest.

“If you want to enhance the member experience and enable more predictive outreach to drive COE utilization, we can incorporate additional data feeds,” O’Brien says. “Those include 270/271 files for real-time eligibility checks and inbound carrier claims data files to identify members who would benefit from Lantern’s solutions.”

These are optional enhancers. All data is also transferred securely via secure file transfer protocol (SFTP), and our team runs a robust testing process in a staging environment before go-live to ensure accuracy and prevent any surprises.

Leveraging Member Communications to Increase COE Engagement

Driving awareness is critical to the success of any new benefit. But that doesn’t mean it has to be your burden. During implementation, we dedicate an entire workstream to developing customized member communications.

Lantern handles all the production and distribution of these materials. For benefits leaders like you, involvement is limited to reviewing and approving the annual communications plan.

We recommend a two-pronged strategy:

Whole Membership: We use a series of print mailers and follow-up emails to introduce the program and educate all your members on how Lantern can support them.

Targeted Outreach: Using claims and prior authorization data (if available), we can identify members who could benefit from Lantern right now. Our team then reaches out directly by phone to introduce the program and help them get started.

The Power of Partnership with your COE Solution

Creating a seamless experience also helps members within your existing benefits ecosystem. We have deep relationships and established integrations with all major carriers.

“If you’re already a client with one of the health plans we work with, set up and delivery is even easier,” O’Brien says. Our partnerships enable data sharing for informed care delivery, targeted member outreach, referrals and case management, and more.

Lantern is also a proud partner with a growing list of ecosystem partners, including Accolade, apree Health (formerly Castlight), HealthJoy, Hinge Health, Health Transformation Alliance, Pelago and Sword Health. These partnerships allow us to enhance the member experience and streamline access to care.

“If your organization is already working with one of these partners, or wants to, we can often simplify contracting and accelerate implementation,” says Kirsten Lyerly, VP, Ecosystem Partnerships, Lantern. “These partnerships create two-way navigation pathways that make it easier for members to find the right care at the right time.”

Implementing Cancer Care and Infusions Benefits Solutions

Lantern clients who already have the surgery program in place also benefit from a shorter implementation timeline when adding the cancer care or infusions solutions.

Scott Kirschner, Senior Director of Global Benefits at Greystar, added the cancer care program to the team’s benefits for 2025. Because the data feeds were already in place from Lantern’s surgery solution, he says implementation was remarkably fast.

“Expanding was about a six-week implementation,” Kirschner says. “Most of the conversations were on communications and coordinating with our carrier. Without that, Lantern probably could have been ready in about two weeks.”

Don’t Let Implementation Fear Hold You Back

If you’re looking for an innovative solution to provide access to high-quality care while creating significant savings for your plan, don’t let the fear of a difficult implementation hold you back, says Recharda Graydon, Senior Benefits Manager at HD Supply and a Lantern client.

“Just have the initial talk to find out the ease of implementing this benefit,” Graydon says. “[These are] cost savings your company could potentially take advantage of. I feel like companies are looking for innovative solutions, and I think that Lantern does fill a need in the market.”