Actions for employers to mitigate cancer risk

Employers can play a significant role in closing the clinical quality gap in cancer

PHM and Springbuk provide actions for employers to mitigate cancer risk

LOS ANGELES (April 27, 2023) — PHM, a clinically sophisticated company solving complex healthcare problems and Springbuk, a leading-edge health data platform, recently combined proprietary data analytics and clinical insights to identify ways companies can improve cancer outcomes for employees while optimizing cancer spend.

Advancements in cancer care over the past 20 years have been transformational, driven by updated recommendations in cancer screening, emergence of molecular diagnostic tools to guide treatments, and the development of cutting-edge therapeutics. Each offers the potential for better outcomes, but employers are faced with the challenge of ensuring these often costly tools and treatments are used effectively.

“Cancer is one of the toughest health problems facing businesses because both the incidence of disease and the cost of treatment are on the rise,” said Mark Oshima, PHM’s EVP of Health Solutions. “Only by analyzing their claims data can employers develop a targeted action plan that addresses drivers of cancer spend and reduces the impact of cancer on their health plan and their people.”

In the 2023 “Managing Cancer Care in Your Health Plan” whitepaper, PHM brings clinical insights to Springbuk’s claims data from more than 1,000 select employers consisting of 1.7 million lives covered. The paper identifies three areas of opportunities for companies to:

• Encourage prevention through advanced screenings to achieve better health outcomes at lower treatment costs.
• Enable molecular profiling, still highly underutilized, to ensure cancers are appropriately characterized and individuals are benefiting from the latest in precision medicine.
• Optimize drug spend by making informed formulary decisions, not merely restricting use of high-cost drugs.

“While new treatments and diagnostic tests offer the potential for better outcomes, many are not yet widely adopted nor equitably distributed,” said Janet Young, MD, Springbuk’s Lead Clinical Scientist. “Giving employers insights into their unique cancer risk profile combined with guidance on the efficacy and availability of emerging diagnostics and treatments, empowers them to optimize their resources to improve access and outcomes for their employees.”

Cancer isn’t one disease, it is hundreds of diseases, each with multiple treatment options. “Even when employers provide enhanced benefits and employees have access to high-quality providers, the growing complexity in the oncology landscape requires a new type of support,” observes Natalya Gertsik, PhD, VP of ClearCancer Solution Management, PHM. “Partnering with a cancer care management service can enable a more informed care plan to effectively leverage the broad arsenal of tools now available.”

Download whitepaper.

About PHM
PHM is a clinically sophisticated company solving complex healthcare problems to help individuals get well and stay well. The company applies its deep health intelligence to bring the best of what’s possible in medicine to individuals, families and companies that make their employees’ health a priority. PrivateHealth.com.

About Springbuk
Springbuk is a leading-edge health intelligence platform that empowers employers and consultants to sharpen their benefits strategy, advance employee health, and contain costs. Springbuk.com.