One in three people risks the chance of developing cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. From family caregivers to those receiving a diagnosis, cancer affects nearly everyone. But it doesn’t affect everyone equally.

“There are always social factors that come into play,” says Emily Wentz, Director of Case Management at Lantern and an Oncology Certified Nurse. “For instance, it makes a difference whether you work at a corporate job with lots of PTO and short-term disability versus a job where you don’t have access to some benefits.

“There’s also family support. Some patients have wonderful family support, and some patients do not. That has a very big impact in treating cancer, because you might need help getting to an appointment or help understanding treatment options,” Wentz adds.

And that’s where support from Lantern’s care team, including Care Advocates, Oncology Nurse Navigators and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, comes in. The team’s goal is to improve health equity for all its members.

Faster Time to Care Makes a Difference

The wait time for an appointment in the traditional healthcare system can be long, sometimes weeks or months. Through Lantern’s accelerated access to the best National Cancer Institute-designated centers (NCIs) and community oncologists, members can typically be seen within 10 days for their first appointment.

“A lot of the facilities are incredibly backed up and booked,” Wentz says. “We’ve had people who have been told they needed to wait two months to get their staging scans done or several months for biopsies on very significant lesions that could cause very long-term problems. So we help to make sure those patients are seen within an appropriate timeframe.”

Dr. Jason Tibbels, Lantern’s Chief Medical Officer, has focused a lot of his professional career on advocating for high-quality care and patient safety. “If someone asks, ‘What is the most important thing about treating cancer that will predict outcomes?’, I will tell you that it is very clear that it’s time to treatment,” he says. “It’s how fast can you get someone to the right place for the right care for their diagnosis and treatment.”

Care Coordination Improves Health Equity

Care Advocates help patients review providers, choose the best one for their diagnosis and schedule appointments.

“I had a patient who was diagnosed with breast cancer and told she needed to schedule surgery immediately,” Wentz says. “She hadn’t had a chance to review any providers or get recommendations.”

Wentz recalls it took her over an hour to get this patient’s appointment scheduled, which included being transferred through multiple departments.

“There are several different appointments that somebody would need to make, and being able to navigate that, on top of being handed a very significant and urgent diagnosis, is incredibly overwhelming,” Wentz says. “I can’t imagine being told that I need to have surgery immediately, and then having to spend an hour on the phone being shuffled from one side of the facility to the other. We help to take that burden off their plate.”

Proper care coordination can also help alleviate the high price tag of cancer treatment. For members needing infusions, we coordinate at-home and near-site infusions when possible, reducing the expenses associated with traditional hospital-based treatments while providing added convenience.

Our nurse-led team also works closely with prescribers to explore cost-efficient therapies, copay assistance programs and manufacturer discounts. By integrating these efforts into each member’s care plan, we help ensure effective cancer treatment while minimizing unnecessary out-of-pocket costs.

Support and Resources Put Members at Ease

With multi-language support, Lantern helps guide our members to different resources depending on their needs. That may include food banks, grants and local support groups. We also help patients understand insurance coverage and navigate workplace benefits like FMLA.

Nurse Navigators review diagnoses and treatment plans with members, outlining their options and providing second opinion referrals when needed. They can answer any questions members didn’t have a chance to ask in their doctors’ appointments.

During treatment, Nurse Navigators help members manage their side effects and medications, getting their doctor involved when needed.

“A lot of these patients are calling their doctors and are not getting a response or acknowledgement of these side effects,” Wentz says. “We step in to make sure their doctor is aware that they’re having these complications and addresses them. Side effects are normal and are expected, but to a certain degree, so we want to make sure they’re managed as well as they can be. We help to advocate for the patient if they’re not being heard.”

Dr. Tibbels adds that support and resources go a long way when people are already scared and might not know where to turn.

“We’re closing the gap,” he says. “People want an advocate. They want people to stop and just care for a minute and help them navigate what is an incredibly complex, incredibly scary time. Surrounding people with a team that can open those secret doors puts them at ease. I can literally tell you 100 stories from sitting in our morning meetings with the nurses of how they’re saving lives. Helping people and the bottom line is such an incredible opportunity.”

100% Eligibility for All Members

In addition to help with logistics and education, our team is there to provide members and their families with emotional support throughout their cancer journey. All Lantern members are eligible for these cancer care resources, no matter their age, diagnosis or stage.

“We have our Nurse Navigators, Care Advocates and a social worker, so members have an entire team of people there to support them,” Wentz says. “If they are having a barrier to care, we can help find the resources.”