Here’s a sobering statistic: Nearly half of all people will hear the frightening words “You have cancer” at some point in their lives.
In the U.S. today, we spend over $200 billion a year on cancer care. It’s the top driver of employer healthcare costs, making up 15–20% of total spending. While innovative treatments bring hope, the cost of new cancer drugs has skyrocketed up 53% in just five years.
For employers, rising cancer claims are a growing concern, especially with rare cancers and new therapies that can come with million-dollar price tags.
For employees, cancer is overwhelming. It brings uncertainty, fear and stress, and most don’t get the emotional or logistical support they need from the healthcare system. Usually, they turn to HR for help.
“Often the HR benefits manager is the person who patients come to and say, ‘Where do I go? What do I need to do?’” says Nicki MacManus, SVP, General Manager at Lantern.
But of course, most HR leaders aren’t oncologists. That’s why many employers are turning to specialty care programs to connect employees with the resources they need after a difficult diagnosis.
Here’s what to keep in mind as you design support for employees with cancer.
Don’t Assume Cancer isn’t an Issue In Your Population
What’s truly scary about cancer is that it’s not just a concern for older employees. In fact, more young people are facing cancer than at any point in history, and no one knows exactly why. Each year, about 89,000 young adults in the U.S. receive a diagnosis. The most common cancers in this age group include brain, breast, cervical, colorectal, melanoma and thyroid.
“We’ve seen a significant uptick in our member population that have received cancer diagnoses in the last couple of years,” says Dawn Beaudin, VP of benefits for Hyatt Hotels. “So, we really wanted to do something in the cancer space to ensure that our colleagues and their families have access to the best specialists to help return them to good health.”
Beaudin says Hyatt chose Lantern because they wanted employees to have access to oncology nurses to help them navigate the process and provide a concierge-level of service from the point of diagnosis through treatment and recovery. Employees receive expedited access to NCI-designated Centers of Excellence around the country.
Sarah Richards, Director of Benefits at Red Bull, says they offered surgery care through Lantern and decided to add the cancer benefit due to the positive employee feedback from engaging with Lantern’s services.
“Cancer was traditionally not a high-cost claimant driver in our population, but that is definitely changing,” Richards says.
Look for a Program with Early Screening and Proactive Engagement
When evaluating cancer care programs, make sure you pick one that focuses on early detection. The best programs don’t just wait for a diagnosis, they actively use smart strategies to catch cancer as early as possible, when it’s most treatable.
By examining claims data, employers can spot early warning signs of cancer before a formal diagnosis even happens. Claims data, including diagnoses, lab results, imaging scans and prescribed medications can reveal patterns that suggest someone might be at risk.
A leading cancer care program uses this information proactively, flagging potential issues and helping employees get the right follow-up care sooner. Catching cancer early not only improves outcomes for employees, but it also helps manage long-term healthcare costs.
By looking at existing cancer claims, a specialty care provider can help employees get a second opinion, double-check their treatment plan and connect them with an oncologist who’s a better fit for their specific needs.
“We elected to participate in the enhanced advisory support services [through Lantern] where we’re actually using our cancer claims data and proactively identifying cases that could specifically benefit from the guidance of a subspecialist or from one of these specialty centers around the country,” Beaudin says.
With previous cancer care solutions, Beaudin says the burden was on the employee to make a phone call or visit a cancer center, which really hurt engagement with the program.
“It was really exciting for us to be able to have something in place happening behind the scenes and identifying rare cases in situations where their local oncologists might not have the knowledge and expertise to plan their treatment and make sure they’re getting the best care,” she adds.
Offer Comprehensive Cancer Care Support
A comprehensive cancer care benefits strategy gives employees support from the moment they need it. Programs like Lantern connect employees with highly vetted oncologists and top-ranked Centers of Excellence across the country, ensuring members have access to the best possible care, no matter where they live.
Comprehensive cancer care also provides personal care navigation via licensed oncology nurses who guide employees through every step of their cancer journey, from diagnosis to treatment decisions.
“What’s really differentiating about the program, for both the patient and caregiver, is having a nurse by your side for the entirety of that journey,” said Emily Wentz, RN, BSN, Director of Case Management at Lantern. “They know you. They build a really deep relationship. They’re quarterbacking for you, because they’ve seen everything and done this many times before.”
Richards says Lantern’s white-glove approach to cancer care navigation not only brings comfort to employees during a difficult time, but also gives her peace of mind, knowing she has a trusted support system in place.
“They have become my right-hand person for everything and have taken what is such a scary, uncertain situation and just made it feel like members have an advocate who’s holding their hand,” Richards says. “And what’s really interesting is almost 30% of our members with cancer who engage with Lantern stay engaged. They’re like, ‘I need more support than I get from my doctor’s office.’
“There’s such value there and they’re seeing that value and then coming back to me and my leaders to share their stories. It truly is one of the reasons where I’m like, ‘This is why I’m in benefits,’” Richards adds.
The best cancer care programs take on the heavy lifting by offering logistical support, like scheduling appointments and coordinating second opinions. By removing barriers and easing the stress of cancer care, Lantern helps employees focus on healing while giving employers peace of mind.
“The average talk time with our oncology nurses is north of 45 minutes for each call, because of all of the guidance they provide,” says Shelly Towns, CMO at Lantern. “We even have licensed social workers on staff, so if a member has kids in the house, we can advise how to talk to them about cancer. When you’re staring down some of those very scary conversations, just having that person on the other line can mean so much.”
They have become my right-hand person for everything and have taken what is such a scary, uncertain situation and just made it feel like members have an advocate who’s holding their hand.
Provide Resources for All Cancer Types and Stages
A strong cancer care program should support employees through every type of cancer and every stage of the journey, from the most common diagnoses to the rarest cases. It’s not enough to focus only on a few common cancers, as employees need access to expert guidance no matter what they’re facing.
Cancer care employee benefits should offer resources for early-stage treatment, late-stage care and survivorship. A solution should also make sure employees with rare cancers can access leading specialists and cancer centers, obtain second opinions and explore novel treatments.
Ultimately, when you cover every type and every stage, you give every employee the support they deserve.
