Carrum Health First to Launch Bundled Cancer Care for Employers in Collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrum Health, the first digital health company connecting employers and employees to Centers of Excellence (COEs) through a technology-powered platform for better, more cost-effective healthcare, today announced that it is extending its COE model into oncology with the industry's first-ever cancer care bundle. Working in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Carrum Health will offer comprehensive bundles that cover in-person treatment at MSK for eligible patients with breast and thyroid cancers, as well as remote diagnosis, treatment planning, and care guidance for all forms of cancer. For breast and thyroid cancers, the bundle includes complete medical treatment for up to two years--an unheard of warranty in the industry.

When faced with a cancer diagnosis, the last thing patients should have to worry about is paying for or coordinating care. This new benefit helps patients not only receive some of the best care in the nation, but also eliminates the worry of medical bills while giving them the support they need to make it through.

Changing the Economics of Cancer Care

While many navigation programs exist to help guide patients to high-quality providers, only Carrum Health is tackling the underlying economics for cancer care through an innovative model with the world renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Cancer is one of the most expensive conditions, accounting for about $125 billion, or 12% of total employer healthcare spend, annually. Cancer surgeries alone can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000, with a full course of treatment varying from $120,000 to $400,000 for a single patient, depending on where they receive care, according to Carrum Health's analysis.

Carrum Health's new cancer care bundle packages diagnosis and treatment services into a single, upfront payment that can deliver significant financial savings to employers compared to traditional fee-for-service billing. This approach serves both employers and patients. Employers have full transparency into the cost of care, enabling them to better manage healthcare spending and direct their employees to high-quality providers, which improves outcomes. And patients have peace of mind that they're getting the best care possible with little to no out-of-pocket costs.

"At Carrum, we're continuing to push the boundaries on bringing bundled payment to novel areas of care and cancer care is the new frontier. We've designed several comprehensive bundles that help better diagnose and treat cancer, as well as guide patients through getting care, no matter where they live," said Sach Jain, CEO and founder of Carrum Health. "With our digital Centers of Excellence platform, we've revolutionized healthcare by enabling employers to purchase high-cost surgical services from top providers for a single price. Now we are the first to extend this model beyond surgery to a highly concerning and expensive condition, cancer. This new benefit takes all the complexity, stress, and worry about unexpected, costly bills out of the equation for patients and lowers costs for their employers, while providing them access to one of the top cancer centers in the country."

World-Class Cancer Center Joins in as Pioneer in Value-Based Approach

Because not all patients can travel for cancer care, MSK has worked for five years to scale MSK Direct, an employee benefit that provides the option for MSK experts to navigate patients to high-quality cancer care in their area as well as coordinate a care plan with patients' local doctors. MSK Direct helps broaden patient access to MSK's expertise, while allowing patients to be treated closer to home. Combining this approach with Carrum Health's Centers of Excellence platform provides a national, value-based model to help improve cancer care and outcomes.

"We are thrilled to be Carrum Health's first Center of Excellence to begin offering fully bundled rates for oncology care," said Oren Cahlon, Deputy Physician-in-Chief for Strategic Partnerships at MSK. "Offering employers a national solution to access superior care and quality outcomes, while reducing the financial burden of cancer, is an important and worthwhile endeavor."

Under the agreement, patients with non-metastatic breast cancer and thyroid cancer may be eligible to receive two years of treatment at MSK, including excision surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, medication, care for treatment-related complications, mental health services for patients and caregivers, and interdisciplinary check-ins and follow-ups, without the worry of paying medical bills. MSK will also provide diagnosis and care guidance – including pathology and image review, interdisciplinary consultation, molecular diagnostics, individualized treatment plans and ongoing coordination with local oncologists for those living outside of the New York and New Jersey metro area – to all eligible Carrum Health members.

About Carrum Health 

Carrum Health was founded in 2014 with a mission to "bring common sense to healthcare" through a value-based healthcare model that benefits families, employers and providers. Headquartered in South San Francisco, Carrum's award-winning surgery benefits platform connects self-insured employers with top providers under standardized bundled payment arrangements to better manage healthcare costs. By aligning provider incentives with quality performance, Carrum drives improvements in patient experience and health outcomes. Customers include large Fortune 500 companies and public sector organizations. For more information, visit carrumhealth.com.

SOURCE Carrum Health