More Than Half Of Health Plans With Oncology Pathways Expect To Complete Their Pathway Rollouts By 2016

LAMBERTVILLE, N.J., May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- By 2016, more than half of health plans with oncology pathways expect to complete their pathway rollouts to network oncologists treating key cancer types, according to a new report by Health Strategies Group.

Breast cancer pathways, in particular, are a high priority for health plans, according to Health Plan Oncology Pathways Insight and Evolution. More than half of plans have already rolled out breast cancer pathways to network oncologists.

"At many health plans, the pharmacy budget is driving the top priorities for pathways," says Bob Shewbrooks, principal. "In addition to breast cancer, we can expect to see greater rollouts of pathways for lung, prostate, colon, and hematologic cancers by 2016."

However, many plans may postpone their pathway rollouts in cancer types with greater disease complexity or narrower treatment options, Shewbrooks says. "Health plans understand that the success of a pathway relies on oncologists' willingness to participate," he says. "That's why many plans are waiting to do a complete network rollout until broader provider buy-in exists. Instead, most plans are implementing pilots of limited scope and plan to leverage their success in future negotiations."

The Health Plan Oncology Pathways Insight and Evolution service assesses health plans' and oncologists' perspectives on oncology pathway implementation, measurement, and adherence so pharmaceutical marketers can identify opportunities to influence brand inclusion today and during the next 24 months. The latest report is based on surveys and interviews with pharmacy executives and medical directors at national plans, Blues affiliates, regional independent plans, and Medicaid-only plans, as well as oncologists. For additional information on the service, contact Bob Shewbrooks, principal, at (609) 397-5282 or at [email protected].

Health Strategies Group offers a dedicated team of research leaders committed to dissecting the trends, identifying customer needs, and pinpointing the barriers and opportunities for pharma within the evolving healthcare environment. Recently, Health Strategies Group was ranked the No. 1 market research company that pharmaceutical and biotech executives would recommend. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.HealthStrategies.com. 

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Contact: Stacey Pollock, [email protected]

SOURCE Health Strategies Group