Findings show 10.4% fewer hospital admissions and 8.1% lower total health care spending after Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island teams up with Daymark Health to improve support for members with cancer
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New, real-world data from a clinical study by Daymark Health, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI), and Brown University Health, along with co-authors from the University of Pennsylvania and Memorial Sloan Kettering, shows that a novel in-home and virtual supportive care program provided to BCBSRI members by Daymark Health reduces hospital admissions and decreases total health care spending for patients under active treatment for cancer. The study, presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium in Boston, MA, focused on a program BCBSRI launched with Daymark in 2025. It analyzed 5,432 patients with cancer treated across 20 oncology practices and found that the model program reduced all-cause acute inpatient hospital admissions by 10.4% and lowered total health care spending by 8.1% for patients enrolled in commercial and Medicare Advantage health plans.
This data comes at a critical time for oncology, as global cancer medicine spending is projected to exceed $400 billion by 2028. Cancer is now the number one health cost driver named by large employers — cited by 70% as their top condition, up from 58% just a year earlier, according to Business Group on Health's 2027 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey. Spending growth on cancer in New England is expected to outpace many other regions of the United States due to the advancing age of its population. At the same time, modern cancer care too often leaves patients to manage difficult symptoms, complex medication regimens, and emotional strain largely on their own, which is where small problems can turn into ER visits and costly hospital stays. These findings validate the need for supportive oncology programs in value-based care and showcase the effectiveness of an in-home and virtual care model to improve health outcomes and drive cost savings across a population of patients with cancer.
Daymark Health is a national supportive oncology medical group that provides care to patients with a team of nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, and community health workers who work alongside patients' oncologists and existing care team, helping to coordinate appointments and treatment plans, manage symptoms and medications, address mental health needs, and connect patients to social resources like transportation and financial assistance. Support is delivered both virtually and in the home.
"Too many patients with cancer are left to navigate the hardest parts of their care on their own between visits, after hours, or when a question can't wait," said Angela Taber, MD, Medical Director at Daymark Health and senior author of the study. "This real-world evidence shows that in-home and virtual supportive oncology care can actually work at scale, with oncologists and health plans, to improve patient outcomes, avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and optimize health care spending."
The researchers used an interrupted time series design to compare outcomes after the program's April 2025 launch at BCBSRI with what would have been expected based on pre-program trends in administrative claims data, drawing on both Medicare Advantage and commercial populations. The average age of patients in the study was 71 years; 54% were female, and 34% had metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread to other organs in the body). Common cancers included lung (27%), breast (17%) and prostate (16%). Before the Daymark program was introduced, average per member per month (PMPM) total health care spending was $8,774. Expected PMPM spending was $9,745, but after the program was introduced, the observed PMPM spending was $8,956, representing a reduction of $789 and 8.1% lower total health care spending.
"We saw a need to transform the cancer care experience for our members, which can be overwhelming, hard to navigate, and expensive," said Martha L. Wofford, President and CEO of BCBSRI. "By teaming up with Daymark and our local provider partners, we're helping deliver an exceptional patient experience that our members tell us feels highly personal and coordinated, and that is bringing down cancer care costs."
"When oncologists develop new care models and work productively with health plans, we reaffirm that cancer care should be accessible, coordinated, evidence-based, and compassionate," said David Wazer, MD, Director of the Brown University Health Cancer Institute and co-author of the study. "Pairing home-based and virtual supportive oncology with world class cancer care and research is a model that restores coherence to complexity and places the patient, once again, at the true center of oncology practice."
The study was presented at the 2026 ASCO Quality Care Symposium on October 16, 2026. The event brings together leading oncologists from across the U.S. and internationally to address the quality, safety, and efficiency of cancer care delivery.
About Daymark Health
Daymark Health is a value-based oncology company redefining the cancer care experience for patients, providers, and health plans. Daymark's supportive, personalized cancer care program connects the dots between oncologists, primary care physicians, and patients — empowering them with care navigation, 24/7 support, mental health assistance, symptom care, and social support, delivered virtually and in the home. Daymark works in partnership with oncology practices and health plans to help ensure that every patient with cancer can access world-class, compassionate care. Learn more at www.daymarkhealth.com.
About Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (bcbsri.com) is a tax-paying, nonprofit, community-focused health plan established in 1939 to help Rhode Islanders finance their healthcare needs. Today, that purpose is still foundational to our work. We have a vision to improve health and well-being by leading access to high quality, affordable and equitable care. BCBSRI has been recognized as a two-time honoree of The Civic 50, Points of Light's annual recognition of the nation's most community-minded companies. We are an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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SOURCE Daymark Health
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