As a leader of your Fund, you carry a responsibility unlike any other. You face constant pressure to deliver health and welfare benefits that truly improve members’ lives, not just check a box.

Your members don’t just contribute money to the Fund, they invest their trust. These dollars represent their labor and commitment to the union, pooled to secure their families’ health for the long term. That’s why every benefits decision carries so much weight.

But as trusted leaders, you face an uphill battle. Healthcare costs keep climbing, prices are often hidden and the system grows more complex by the year. In this opaque environment, members depend on their Funds to stretch every dollar, while keeping benefits strong and sustainable across a lifetime of work.

Traditional benefits provide a solid foundation, but members need more to address these challenges. Providing members with access to an independent Center of Excellence (COE) gives Funds a way to strengthen care for costly, life-changing conditions like surgery, cancer and infusions, while providing better outcomes and ensuring the Fund remains financially sustainable.

A Call for a New Approach to Member Benefits

While specialty care may affect only a small percentage of members, it drives nearly half of total healthcare spending. It’s the single biggest contributor to costs, and one of the hardest areas for members to navigate.

For workers, engaging with specialty care can feel frustrating and convoluted. They’re often forced to make life-altering decisions without having all the facts. Long waits, confusing referrals and unclear pricing leave members feeling vulnerable. Without a clear path to high-quality care, members may experience poor outcomes, longer recoveries and unnecessary procedures.

Even the best health plans fall short if they don’t guarantee access to the right care at the right time. These challenges undermine the value of the Fund’s hard-won benefits.

That’s why a new approach is needed. An independent COE strategy creates a direct path to top-tier care for the most critical and costly health needs. It ensures members get the right diagnosis, the right treatment and the best possible chance at recovery, while protecting the sustainability of the Fund.

The Pillars of a Successful Center of Excellence Strategy for Trust Funds

Think of choosing COE benefits like contracting for a new union contract. Before stepping onto the worksite, you want to know the scope of the job, the pay, the cost of supplies and the team needed to get it done. No one would take the job without first understanding these details.

The same principle applies to negotiating healthcare. A truly effective COE strategy isn’t just about a list of providers or facilities. It’s built on a few key pillars that ensure it delivers on its promise.

1. Accessibility and Convenience

COE programs offered through health plans typically favor hospital systems in big cities, forcing members who don’t live in these areas to travel long distances for care.

An independent COE strategy like Lantern changes the game. By bringing options within a reasonable driving distance of where members live and work, we reduce travel time, lower costs and minimize disruption. Lantern’s Network of Excellence includes more than 725 facilities nationwide, placing 98% of members within driving distance of high-quality care.

2. A Higher Standard of Care for Union Members

Not all providers at a given facility deliver the same results, and in some cases, they may lack board certification and fellowship training.

The best COE programs vet every provider through a rigorous process. They start by confirming board certification and checking for specialized fellowships in the exact procedures they will perform, whether joint replacements, spinal surgeries or other complex treatments.

The vetting process should also include reviewing state sanctions, conducting reputational checks and measuring overall performance. Careful screening narrows the field to only the top physicians, ensuring members receive care from providers with proven expertise and reliable results. It leads to better outcomes, faster recoveries and fewer complications.

3. Financial Savings for Members and the Fund

Independent COEs are designed to deliver real savings by cutting out the middleman and contracting directly with top surgeons and facilities. This means members get access to competitive, transparent rates.

Independent COEs can negotiate bundled rates that are much lower than what you’ll often see in traditional carrier networks. And because members face fewer complications and avoid unnecessary procedures, long-term costs drop even further.

Funds often pass these savings straight to their members by eliminating copays, surprise bills and out-of-pocket costs.

4. Personalized Guidance

When members face surgery or cancer treatment, they often feel vulnerable and overwhelmed. The last thing they need is to navigate call centers, leave messages and pray someone calls back.

Instead of being left on their own, the best COE programs pair each member with a dedicated Care Advocate, who walks beside them through the entire journey. The Care Advocate connects the member to the right provider and handles the details, from scheduling appointments to coordinating follow-up. Even after the procedure, the advocate checks in to ensure recovery stays on track.

Providing hands-on guidance turns a stressful process into a supportive experience, so members never feel lost in the system.

The Ripple Effect: Positive Impact on Members’ Lives

The value of a Center of Excellence strategy goes far beyond lowering medical bills. It creates a ripple effect that touches every part of a member’s life. Here’s how:

Faster return to work and life: When members receive the right care from the start, they recover faster and avoid unnecessary setbacks. That means they can return to their jobs, families and communities sooner.

Peace of mind: Knowing they have a clear path to the best possible care eases stress for members and their families. It takes away the uncertainty and gives them confidence that their union has their back.

World-class benefits: Most importantly, this strategy shows members their union and leaders care about more than wages and working conditions. It demonstrates a commitment to their health, their families and their future, while offering a powerful tool for recruitment and retention.

Beyond the Bargaining Table

An independent Center of Excellence strategy for surgery, cancer and infusions isn’t just about saving money; it’s about delivering care that strengthens the very value of union membership. By guiding members to the right doctors, at the right time and at the right cost, unions can ensure better outcomes and greater peace of mind.

Now’s the time for Fund leaders to think differently about benefits. The question isn’t only what coverage is available, but what care is truly best for members and their families.

With this approach, unions move beyond the bargaining table to create life-changing benefits and build a legacy of health and well-being that serves members for generations to come.

Lindsay Leeder, MSN, ARNP, is a seasoned healthcare executive with a strong clinical foundation as a family nurse practitioner. She currently serves as Senior Vice President of Labor, Union & Trust at Lantern, a specialty care platform dedicated to connecting individuals with high-quality care when they need it most. Lindsay leads Lantern’s partnerships with labor unions and multi-employer funds, working to ensure members receive exceptional care while helping organizations manage rising healthcare costs.