In this episode, guests Tommy Axford and Dr. Natalya Gertsik from Private Health Management (PHM), talk about clinical trials and cancer care. They discuss why employers struggle with cancer-related costs and how clinical trials can be both medically beneficial and cost-effective. The conversation centers on the unique challenges cancer presents as a complex set of diseases rather than a single condition with standard solutions. Dr. Gertsik highlights a story about "Peter," who was given three months to live but achieved complete remission through a clinical trial identified by PHM. As Peter recounts, "It has now been a dozen years that I have been in remission from what was an original death sentence."

The discussion explores barriers to clinical trial access, including the vast number of trials available and various patient, provider, and institutional challenges. With specialty oncology medications averaging $65,000, clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies can offer significant cost savings for employers. Dr. Gertsik, "Most of the benefits employers are putting in place work for 95 percent of their population, but they don't work as well for the sickest and most expensive 5%."

Key Takeaways:

• Cancer's complexity requires sophisticated solutions beyond traditional benefits
• Clinical trials can provide cutting-edge treatments while reducing employer costs
• Major access barriers include provider time constraints and complex qualification criteria
• Solutions need to focus on the 5% of employees who represent the highest healthcare costs
• Employers need partners who can address all cancer types comprehensively

Stay in Touch!

• Connect with Tommy Axford and Dr. Natalya Gertsik on LinkedIn
• Visit Private Health Management (PHM)
• Download PHM’s report on clinical trials and cancer
• Learn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resources
• Get the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resources

Connect with our co-hosts Brittany Hardaway and David Pittman

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

Produced by David Pittman

Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

In this insightful episode of "Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist," Lauren Gums, Executive Vice President of Clinic Services at Transcarent, shares her expertise on the rapidly evolving world of telehealth and virtual care. With over 20 years of healthcare leadership experience, Lauren offers valuable perspectives on how these technologies are reshaping consumer expectations and transforming healthcare delivery.

Throughout the episode, Lauren highlights the growing importance of convenience and accessibility in modern healthcare, noting that "90 percent of the U.S. population [has] smartphones, and of those smartphone users, 96 percent prefer text." She explains how telehealth platforms like Transcarent are meeting these expectations by providing "urgency and accuracy" in care delivery.

The discussion covers a wide range of topics, including the sustainability of virtual care models, the revolutionary role of AI in healthcare, and crucial factors employers should consider when evaluating telehealth programs. Lauren also addresses the critical issues of data security and privacy in virtual care solutions, emphasizing their importance in maintaining trust and compliance.

Key takeaways from the episode include:

• Telehealth usage has stabilized at about 38 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels, indicating a lasting shift in healthcare delivery preferences.
• AI is playing a pivotal role in enhancing personalization, improving diagnostic accuracy, and streamlining care delivery in telehealth.
• When assessing virtual care programs, employers should focus on employee engagement, health outcomes, and overall satisfaction.
• Robust security measures, including HIPAA compliance and AI governance programs, are essential for protecting member data in virtual care platforms.
• Virtual care platforms are seen as complementary to traditional healthcare, with Lauren advocating for "an integrated hybrid approach to delivering care."

Stay in Touch!

• Connect with Lauren Gums on LinkedIn
• Visit Transcarent
• Learn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resources
• Get the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resources
• Connect with our co-hosts Brittany Hardaway and David Pittman

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

Produced by David Pittman

Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside

Way back in Season 1 of our Healthcare on the Rocks podcast, we talked with Josh Reimer, the Director of Channel Partnerships at Included Health, about many of the challenges of today's healthcare system. Since then, Included Health has joined the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace, which enables Springbuk clients to see how they can improve care outcomes for members with complex specialty conditions. With the help of Included Health, employers with high-cost claimants can lower costs, provide better outcomes, and improve the satisfaction of their members.

Listen, or perhaps re-listen, to this encore episode while Josh describes how Included Health leverages its data science and clinical expertise, along with a network of 4,000 leading nationwide experts, for a review of a diagnosis or treatment plan recommendation. I hope you enjoy this special encore episode.

Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at podcast@springbuk.com.

Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!

Produced by David Pittman

Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside