Lantern Expands Comprehensive Cancer Solution with Ongoing Clinical Reviews and Continuous Patient Engagement

Employers nationwide can now offer NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center reviews, clinical trial access, oncology nurse-led navigation teams, and proactive member engagement to improve access and lower costs

DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lantern, the leading Specialty Care Platform serving 12 million people across the U.S., is expanding its comprehensive cancer care navigation solution to include access to expert review at each stage of a member's cancer journey. Lantern's solution combines ongoing expert review by National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers through a first-of-its-kind partnership with AccessHope, site of care optimization, clinical trial access, and support from oncology nurse navigators, helping individuals receive access to appropriate cancer care regardless of where they are treated.

"This expansion is about giving members the confidence that they can get the best possible care closer to home in the community," said Dickon Waterfield, President of Lantern. "Being treated at a great hospital is essential for some patients, but it doesn't have to be the default. Shifting the site of care into the community when possible can significantly lower the cost of treatment. Our program transforms the member experience by helping the member and the physician evaluate their options for the best care at a lower cost."

A comprehensive approach to cancer care
Lantern improves five areas of cancer care navigation through a unique high-touch, AI-enabled experience, including a first-of-its-kind partnership with AccessHope to provide expert reviews at each stage in treatment, and clinical trial matching and navigation.

• Optimizing clinical appropriateness with NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center expert reviews: Cancer care remains one of the most complex and costly areas of healthcare. Studies show that misdiagnosis rates remain high, and for some cancers, only 62% of patients receive guideline-concordant treatment. Lantern addresses this challenge by combining oncology nurse-led navigation with access to continuous NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center expert reviews for every type of cancer, including adult and pediatric populations, solid tumors, and blood-based cancers.
  
  
• Improving access to cutting-edge treatments with clinical trial matching and navigation: The solution helps close the gap between the roughly 4% trial participation rate in community settings compared to over 20% participation rates at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers, improving members' access to care and driving savings.
  
  
• Getting patients to the right care, faster: Lantern's oncology nurse-led navigation teams provide members with personalized guidance on provider selection, symptom management, prior authorizations, and support to address social determinants of health. The recent integration of Specialist Management Solutions' (SMS) Navigation platform enhanced Lantern's ability to identify and engage patients earlier in their care journey. Provider recommendations are based on cancer type, stage, and complexity to connect members to the right level of care at every stage.
  
  
• Infusion care closer to home: Infusion care, including lifesaving chemotherapy and immunotherapy, is a leading cost driver in cancer care. Studies show that hospitals and outpatient practices charge double the price for the same services provided in a physician practice. Lantern connects patients to high-quality infusion care closer to home through its national infusion care network.
  
  
• Reduction in costs, guaranteed: Cancer is the number one cost driver for public- and private-sector employers, and diagnoses among the working-age population continue to rise. Lantern's solution drives substantial cost savings by navigating members to the appropriate care, optimizing the site of care, and improving treatment plan adherence. Lantern's model is designed to deliver a 1.5X or greater ROI.

"Cancer care is complex, and expertise matters at every phase of the journey. We engage treating providers directly to bring NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center expertise into community practices," said Dr. Yousuf Zafar, Chief Medical Officer of AccessHope. "With Lantern, employers can be confident this level of expert support is reaching members consistently across their population and throughout the cancer journey."

Lantern's comprehensive cancer solution is already available to one million members across the U.S. through partnerships with dozens of leading employers, including Hyatt Hotels, Greystar, and AT&T.

About Lantern
Lantern is the leading Specialty Care Platform built to simplify and elevate the most complex care journeys through a unified, value-driven approach. Lantern supports 12 million members and over 1,000 employers nationwide to deliver high-quality surgical, infusion, and cancer care. Lantern's Network of Excellence is the nation's leading specialty care network built on direct contracts and bundled payments with top-tier specialists, facilities, and centers of excellence. Lantern's distributed network is the most locally accessible in the industry, leading to higher utilization and a 4% overall annual reduction in healthcare costs. Lantern supports our members throughout their care journeys, helping them get back to good health, back to their families, and back to work. For more information, visit lanterncare.com.

About AccessHope
Cancer is one of the most consequential challenges an organization faces—clinically, financially, and culturally. It is the leading driver of healthcare cost, one of the most disruptive events in a person's life, and a defining moment for how employees, members, and families experience their employer or health plan.

AccessHope addresses this challenge by delivering what no other cancer benefit can: automatic, equitable access to a true standard of excellence in cancer care—ensuring that those who need expert insight most receive it, without barriers, advocacy, or effort. Every cancer case is consistently reviewed by subspecialized experts from National Cancer Institute–designated comprehensive cancer centers at the forefront of cancer innovation and clinical practice. The result is better outcomes for patients, stronger support for caregivers, and deeper trust in the organization, enabling employers and health plans to do the right thing for people while delivering measurable value for the business. Today, AccessHope serves over 10 million members through more than 800 organizations, including over 80 Fortune 500 companies, and is recognized for its clinical innovation, member experience, and enterprise-grade security through industry awards and certifications.

Media Contacts
Claire Kerr
AOx3 for Lantern
[email protected]

Erin Bocherer
For AccessHope
[email protected]
678-294-2258

SOURCE Lantern