Navigating the Costs of Cancer Care in the Workplace

Nearly 40% of people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. That means an employee or one of their family members will likely be affected by cancer.

The emotional toll of a cancer diagnosis can send shockwaves through the workplace. Health and wellness care costs rise, and employees are left to make life-changing decisions, usually without expert support.

When employers take a mindful approach to managing cancer in the workplace, they can create a cancer-supportive environment, reduce health and wellness care costs and maintain productivity across the organization. This article highlights ways employers can adopt a comprehensive strategy for managing cancer in their organization.

Educate your workforce. Helping employees understand cancer risk factors and the importance of annual screenings can promote a healthy workplace culture. Factors like genetics, lifestyle and age can influence an individual’s likelihood of developing cancer. Employees should be aware of the latest trends in cancer and how they may affect their health. For example, cancer rates are rising among younger populations, but many individuals in these age groups are younger than the recommended routine cancer screening age, according to Yale Medicine.

Provide access to early cancer screenings. Catching cancer early often leads to higher survival rates and more treatment options. In addition, treatments for early-stage cancers result in higher survival rates and significant employer savings in medical spend, according to a 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine. Employers can provide access to early screenings, such as mammograms and colonoscopies.

Take a precision-driven approach. Working with Private Health Management (PHM), a complex care management company and partner of Oswald, can improve outcomes for employees with advanced cancer and can reduce costs for employers and unions.

Each client is supported by a dedicated Personal Care Team made up of advanced practice clinicians, researchers, care coordinators and medical records specialists. PHM uses a proprietary four-step process to guide patients from diagnosis to treatment and monitoring, integrating the latest in precision medicine and clinical insight.

PHM’s latest analysis, featured in the white paper “Improving Cancer Survival: PHM’s Impact”  drew from 15 years of client data and compared outcomes to the National Cancer Institute’s SEER registries. It found that PHM’s model consistently delivers longer survival and higher value—for both patients and employers.

Survival Impact vs. NCI Benchmarks:

• Prostate cancer: 4+ years longer
• Breast cancer: 3+ years longer
• Colorectal cancer: 2+ years longer
• Pancreatic cancer: 10 months longer
• Lung cancer: 10 months longer
• Glioblastoma: 5 months longer

The impact for employers:

• 20% average cost savings per case
• 2:1 return on investment across cancer care programs
• 96% employer satisfaction with PHM’s model

Offer holistic support. A cancer diagnosis is a difficult moment in anyone’s life. It’s important that employees and their families feel supported at every stage of their treatment. Providing mental health resources or offering flexible work arrangements for employees returning to work after treatment can create a holistic, supportive workplace culture.

Our knowledgeable team at Oswald can help your organization navigate the challenges that cancer presents to an organization.

Access PHM’s white paper and an on-demand webinar on how the company helps employees with advanced cancer care live longer, healthier lives while reducing costs for employers by filling out the form here.