Anyone who has experienced the need for surgery for themselves or their family knows that it’s one of the most stressful and intense healthcare moments in a person’s life. It’s a complicated and expensive process that leaves people overwhelmed with questions: how do I know if this surgeon is right for me? Will I end up with surprise costs? How do I have the best result?

The stress is warranted. The same surgery can differ wildly in cost, quality and outcomes, with a lot resting on the physician’s experience.

At Lantern, it’s our goal to take the stress out of the process and make some of healthcare’s hardest moments a lot easier. We’re excited to be launching a new partnership with the North Carolina State Health Plan to do just that.

No-Cost, High-Quality Surgical Care for 550,000 State Health Plan Members

Starting in October, North Carolina’s 550,000 active State Health Plan members, which includes public employees, retired public employees, and their families, will get access to specialty care through Lantern’s Network of Excellence. The broad Network is made up of the state’s top surgeons and specialists. Members will also have access to concierge-level support throughout the process from a dedicated care team, including nurse navigators and care advocates.

The best part of this is that North Carolina has chosen to waive the entire cost-share for employees, so they will not be receiving a surgery bill at the end.

While we already serve thousands of employees from major North Carolina employers today, we’re always strengthening and expanding our Network of Excellence to include the best of the best surgeons. We rigorously vet the surgeons on an individual level, in addition to the facility.

Two key factors stand out among top-tier surgeons: procedure volume and specialized training. Lantern’s surgeons have completed fellowship training, performed their specialized procedure hundreds of times with proven outcomes, and maintain complication rates of less than 1%, compared to the national average of 8 to 15%. These factors drive higher quality care and better results, allowing people to get back to their families, their jobs and their lives sooner.

The result? When a State Health Plan member needs surgery, no matter where they are, we will be able to get them in with the best surgeon or specialist for their unique needs within driving distance. And we can do that regardless of where members live across the state — from Raleigh to Charlotte and Wilmington to Asheville.

Partnership Reimagines the Healthcare Experience

Because our members have excellent health outcomes, their care is also less expensive overall, producing savings for the state. Amid skyrocketing healthcare costs, Lantern is bringing its expertise at decreasing the cost of specialty care for some of the largest employers to the state of North Carolina.

Our goal is for this partnership to be a win-win-win. North Carolina’s best surgeons get connected easily with people who need their care, the state saves money, and, most importantly, North Carolina’s public employees have the best possible surgery experience with no bills at the end.

This is why we got into this — to serve people with a reimagined healthcare experience. We’re honored to be able to do that for the people who serve the public. North Carolina’s public employees are the heart of the state, and we can’t wait to support them with access to the best specialty care when they need it, taking the stress out of one of healthcare’s most stressful moments.