Employer Perspectives on Cancer Care

Conference Correspondent

During the October 14 session of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC) 10th Annual Summit, a panel of experts, including representatives from leading cancer centers, insurance companies, and the Cancer Study Group, discussed a myriad of topics related to the cost of cancer care. However, much of the discussion centered on employers’ efforts to ensure that employees have access to state-of-the-art cancer care in a healthcare ecosystem plagued with increasing disparities.

“The field is moving very fast and many medical oncologists don’t have full confidence in their ability to keep up,” said Harlan Levine, MD, President of Strategy and New Business at Los Angeles–based City of Hope. “The chasm between typical and optimal care in oncology has widened as opposed to narrowing, with studies showing up to a 20% difference in overall survival between dedicated academic centers and community cancer centers,” he added.

Employers want to close the gap for their employees, and the panel discussed ways to make that happen, including novel partnerships with top cancer centers, such as City of Hope and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, as well as community providers.

“Cancer care has become a top priority for employers, and while it is always in the top 3 medical conditions by spend, although employers want to get value for their money, their main focus is on the hardship their employees are going through and how they take care of people with disease. They want to get employees to the place that will give them their best shot,” said Adam Bradley, Co-Founder of Cancer Study Group, an organization that works with employers and union health plans to support their employees with cancer.

To find out more about how employers are working with cancer centers, community oncology programs, and other organizations to help employees, register for the AVBCC Summit and get access to this webcast and more than 40 other information-packed webcasts and keynote sessions over the next 10 weeks.

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