Nearly 40% of Americans will develop cancer in their lifetime, and cancer is now the top driver of healthcare costs for employers. A new partnership aims to address this by expanding access to cancer screenings for employers.
Burlingame, California-based Color Health and Chicago-based American Cancer Society (ACS) introduced Monday the Cancer Prevention and Screening Program, which will bring cancer and prevention screening solutions to employers and unions. ACS is a nonprofit organization battling cancer through advocacy, research and patient support. Color Health is a platform that works with employers, unions and government agencies to offer screening, counseling and treatments for cancer, behavioral health and more. The partnership brings together ACS’ expertise in cancer prevention research and Color Health’s expertise in care delivery for employers and unions.
“American Cancer Society obviously has a huge amount of depth on the scientific side, on screening guidelines, as well as a lot of resources around once people are diagnosed and ensuring that they have the right care pathways, the care navigation post diagnosis,” said Othman Laraki, CEO of Color Health, in an interview. “What Color has done … is be able to deliver these programs with very high scale.”
The new program relies on American Cancer Society’s guidelines for assessing patients (based on factors like family history) to help them get access to the right tests for them. If patients require screenings for cervical, colorectal or prostate cancer, they can use an at-home test. If they require an in-person screening — such as a mammography or colonoscopy — the partnership will help those individuals find and schedule in-network support.
If there is a diagnosis, the program will provide access to clinicians who can answer questions and explain results. Patients will also have access to Color Health’s mental health support programs and ACS’ cancer information support specialists. In addition, for members considered at-risk for cancer, the partnership will offer interventions to lower that risk, such as helping them quit smoking or lose weight.
“The way we look at it is understanding where you stand, getting the screenings and prevention done as efficiently as possible,” Laraki said. “Then … if and when there are findings, having a very, very tight loop there that can manage people downstream.”
Patients can access the program’s services via a mobile-optimized website, phone or onsite location.
Color Health and ACS will share in the revenue from the partnership. Part of the revenue will go toward screenings for underserved communities and ACS’ Hope Lodge initiative, which offers housing for cancer patients and their families when they are receiving treatment far from their homes.
In working together, the organizations ultimately hope to save lives.
“Our partnership goals are both straightforward and impactful,” said Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO of ACS. “Successful deployment of our joint program will result in increased understanding of cancer risk, increased access to cancer screening and early detection, and reduced delays between abnormal findings and clinical intervention. In short, deployed correctly, this program can save lives.”
Photo: mikdam, Getty Images
