Color Health Named a Strategic Ally of the Blue Cross Blue Shield National Labor Office

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Feb 27, 2024, 06:00 ET

Alliance Eases Burden of Cancer On Unions By Helping Improve Outcomes and Lower Costs

BURLINGAME, Calif., Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Color Health has joined the Strategic Alliance of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) National Labor Office (NLO), paving the way for union leaders to address the growing impact of cancer. This collaboration specifically promotes a more comprehensive approach to addressing cancer – beginning with evidence-based guidelines and full clinical care management from prevention through diagnosis. The alliance will address the high costs associated with late-stage cancer treatment and acute care utilization to support better survival rates and reduced healthcare costs for participating union populations.

Unions providing healthcare coverage to their members through a BCBS health plan can include access to Color's comprehensive cancer solution, designed in partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS). The program combines the ACS's clinical, evidence-based guidelines on cancer prevention with Color's accessible screening solutions, a nationwide virtual medical group to manage cancer screening and diagnosis follow-ups, high-touch care advocacy, and educational resources for the highest-burden cancers.

The alliance also recognizes that cancer is not just a clinical issue – there is a stigma and life-altering impacts of diagnosis that members need more support on. The program includes integrated mental health peer support groups, family and caregiver support, tools to help members deal with the financial impacts of cancer, and patient resources from the American Cancer Society.

Nearly 40% of Americans will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime, affecting one in two men and one in three women.^¹,² Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States with a projected two million new cancer cases anticipated in 2024.^³ For many cancers, the difference between diagnosis in Stage I versus Stage IV is a three-times higher survival rate and 75% lower costs.^⁴,⁵,⁶ Despite many employers and unions providing health insurance that covers cancer screening and medical services, barriers to accessing and navigating these life-saving services persist. Fragmented care with little to no integration among providers, lack of continuity in follow-up care, and significant wait times for appointments will contribute to the anticipated 600,000 cancer deaths in 2024.^⁷

"Unions have a unique opportunity in 2024 to focus on a comprehensive approach to cancer care and detection," said Othman Laraki, CEO of Color. "Color's approach focuses on delivering care to union members where they are, whether that's at home or on a job site. It works: our program with the Teamsters delivered five times greater engagement compared to other prevention and wellness programs and has supported members in earlier diagnoses of cancer. This strategic alliance will help union leaders and members take powerful steps towards proactive healthcare, ultimately saving lives and reducing costs."

For more information about Color's comprehensive cancer solution please visit www.color.com.

About Color Health
Color is a complete platform for healthcare delivery, providing the technology, infrastructure, and logistics required to distribute large-scale health initiatives to diverse populations. Color works with employers, unions, government agencies, schools, and communities to provide equitable, accessible healthcare services. Color supports access for traditional and distributed workforces, as well as underserved communities, by removing barriers to care. Our model enables screening, counseling, and life-saving treatments to be utilized by more people, wherever they are. Connect with Color on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and www.color.com.

Press Contacts
Color Health
Alyssa Canter
[email protected]
(917) 710-0091

Anneka Meyer
[email protected]
(917) 284-1034

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^¹https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics#:~:text=Approximately%2039.5%25%20of%20men%20and%20women%20will%20be%20diagnosed%20with%20cancer%20at%20some%20point%20during%20their%20lifetimes%20(based%20on%202015%E2%80%932017%C2%A0data)
^²https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/lifetime-probability-of-developing-or-dying-from-cancer.html
^³ https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
^⁴ https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/uscs/about/data-briefs/no25-incidence-relative-survival-stage-diagnosis.htm
^⁵ https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-022-08457-6
^⁶ SEER*Explorer: An interactive website for SEER cancer statistics [Internet]. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2023 Apr 19. [updated: 2023 Jul 31; cited 2023 Sep 27]. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics-network/explorer/
^⁷ ACS Cancer Facts & Figures 2024