NCCN Collaboration with the National Business Group on Health

NCCN Research & Business Resources

NCCN Collaboration with the National Business Group on Health

Overview:
In December 2010, NCCN launched a collaboration with the National Business Group on Health to develop An Employer's Guide to Cancer Treatment & Prevention. The Guide is intended to be a resource that can be readily applied to many aspects of an employer's benefit life cycle, including benefit planning and implementation; request for proposal (RFP) development, review, and scoring; vendor management; and plan administration and evaluation. When completed in late 2013, the Guide will address issues related to cancer across the continuum of care, including prevention and wellness; medical, pharmacy, and behavioral health benefits; employee assistance programs; and disability and family medical leave. Recommendations are supported by evidence, including evidence from the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®), and knowledge from a wide range of experts. Users of the Guide can be confident that their benefit dollars are invested wisely and meet the needs of employees and their dependents who are dealing with cancer.

Advisory Panel:
Work on this project is being guided by an advisory panel consisting of clinical experts, employee benefit executives and consultants, managed care and pharmaceutical industry leaders, disability and behavioral health experts, patient advocates, and others. Thomas A. D'Amico, MD, Duke Cancer Institute and Samuel M. Silver, MD, PhD, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center are representatives from NCCN Member Institutions. Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCCN is also on the advisory committee. Patricia J. Goldsmith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and Elizabeth Danielson, MHA, Director of Payer and Employer Initiatives, are the primary NCCN staff with responsibility and oversight for the initiative.

Project:
This three-year project was undertaken in recognition that employers are increasingly concerned about and focused on the impact of cancer on their workforces. Employers are interested not only in controlling the costs of care, but also in ensuring that both employers and employees receive value for the money they spend on cancer care. Employers care about supporting employees dealing with their own cancer diagnosis or that of a family member as well as the impact of cancer on their overall workforce. A high priority is placed on retaining valued employees, and helping them – and their coworkers – remain productive and engaged during treatment or while providing care to a loved one with cancer.

This is a uniquely important opportunity to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based set of recommendations for self-funded employers that will often serve as a laboratory for health benefit innovation. Large employers' successful innovations are frequently adopted by smaller employers, managed care organizations, and the public sector. Thus, the potential for impacting the quality and value of benefits is likely to extend far beyond the employees of the National Business Group's members. The project may also have an impact on fully-insured benefit plans and essential benefits for plans offered through health care exchanges.

An Employer's Guide to Cancer Treatment and Prevention


Executive Summary	Tool 1: Quick Reference Guide and Assessment	Tool 2: Plan Design and Assessment Tool


Tool 3, Part I: Request for Proposal (RFP) Questions and Requested Evidence for Vendors	Tool 3, Part II: Request for Proposal (RFP) and Response Evaluation for Employers	Tool 3, Part III: RFP and Vendor Scoring


Tool 4: Summary Plan Description (SPD) Guidance	Tool 5: Vendor Contracting and Administration	Tool 6: Evaluation and Plan Reporting

National Comprehensive Cancer Network

NCCN Research & Business Resources

NCCN Collaboration with the National Business Group on Health