Carrum Health and UChicago Medicine Collaborate to Increase Access to High-Quality, Cost-Effective Cancer Care for Employers in the Midwest

Value-based arrangement will improve breast cancer outcomes and helps employer tackle rising costs

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrum Health, the first digital health company connecting employers and employees to Centers of Excellence (COEs) through a technology-powered value-based care platform, today announces an arrangement with the University of Chicago Medicine to bring value-based breast cancer treatment and care to self-insured employers and their employees in the Midwest. Eligible patients can now receive treatment for non-metastatic breast cancer at UChicago Medicine, including surgery, reconstruction, chemotherapy, and radiation, for up to two years through Carrum Health's fixed-price comprehensive cancer care bundle. 

UChicago Medicine, one of the nation's leading academic health systems, offers a regional network of care throughout the Chicagoland area. Based in the city's historic Hyde Park neighborhood, UChicago Medicine is one of only two National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in Illinois and was ranked No. 14 in the country for cancer care in the latest edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals list. UChicago Medicine is seeking regulatory approval to build a new, freestanding cancer hospital, which would bring its basic and translational cancer research together with inpatient and outpatient oncology care.

According to the Business Group on Health, cancer is now the top driver of employer healthcare costs, having overtaken musculoskeletal conditions. Experts predict the situation will worsen as the impact of care delayed during the pandemic is fully realized. Although oncology accounts for only 1% of claims volumes, it makes up 15% of overall employer healthcare spend.

"Cancer will dominate employee benefits in 2023. It's become what mental health was in 2021 – a topic that benefit managers can no longer ignore," said Sach Jain, CEO and founder of Carrum Health. "Employers are increasingly looking for solutions with value-based bundled payment arrangements to reduce the financial burden for both the employer and employee, and to improve the care experience for their employees and their families. Carrum is thrilled to partner with such a high-quality provider like UChicago Medicine to extend our cancer care bundle to employers in the Midwest."

Tackling Cancer Costs with Value-based Care 
Carrum Health offers the only value-based, comprehensive cancer care program that covers both in-person treatment and guidance for a variety of cancers. Carrum Health's leadership in employee-sponsored cancer care benefits includes:

• Putting Members at the Center: Carrum Health's complementary and turnkey member marketing program is designed to reach those with cancer at the right time to increase engagement. Every step of the cancer journey, patients are paired with compassionate team members, from Carrum Health's patient care team who handles all administrative aspects of the program to empathetic oncology-specialized  nurses and support staff. Mental health and travel support for both the member and their family are also provided. 

• Increasing Access to High-Quality Cancer Care: Carrum Health partners with the top cancer centers across the U.S., such as UChicago Medicine, to ensure employers have access to local treatment and care for their employees. 

Employers enrolled in Carrum's cancer care bundles are realizing significant savings and improved care experiences for their employees. Employees have no out-of-pocket payments, so they do not have to worry about medical bills while they're undergoing treatment and recovery.

"Carrum Health's cancer care programs put the patient experience first, which aligns with our health system's ongoing commitment to deliver cutting-edge, compassionate and quality of care for our community," said Nida Shekhani, UChicago Medicine's vice president for cancer services. "The opportunity to deliver value-based cancer care to Chicago-area employers will further advance our work to better support the patient and their family throughout the entire cancer journey."

For more information visit www.carrumhealth.com.

About Carrum Health 
Carrum Health offers the first value-based complete surgical care platform that combines the benefits of a bundled payments Centers of Excellence (COE) with surgical guidance and coordination to deliver the highest quality, most appropriate care. By connecting self-insured employers with the top 10% of doctors and facilities across the nation, Carrum reduces unnecessary procedures by as much as 30% and aligns cost and care incentives to save employers up to 45% per episode of care, all validated by peer-reviewed publications. Carrum's award-winning technology gives members access to a mobile app and Care Specialist that guides them through the surgery process, and a seamless platform integration to make COE adoption plug-and-play for employers. Backed by Tiger Global, Carrum was named to the 2021 CB Insights Digital Health 150 and named one of the best places to work in 2022 by Built In. The company, founded in 2014, is headquartered in Silicon Valley. For more information, visit carrumhealth.com.

SOURCE Carrum Health