In 2019, more than 16.9 million people in the United States were living with or were previously treated for cancer, with that number projected to surpass 22 million by 2030. More than a third are diagnosed with cancer before age 65. Employers are increasingly responsible for making health plan choices, providing resources, and otherwise supporting their staff and reducing workplace burdens during and after cancer treatment. That’s why NCCN and NCCN Foundation® are committed to supporting employers who, in turn can support their employees when facing a cancer diagnosis.
NCCN Employer Toolkit®
NCCN convened a group of employers and benefits managers from across the country to develop the NCCN Employer Toolkit, available for FREE at NCCN.org/employertoolkit
This FREE resource is based upon six guiding principles:
For each principle, the NCCN Employer Toolkit includes several corresponding strategies and tactics, complete with links to resources, in order to eliminate uncertainty while choosing a health plan that will deliver high quality cancer care. These tips include specific information about what a health plan should include (for instance, coverage of evidence-based genetic testing), along with specific techniques for holding plan providers accountable (such as requiring carriers to define how they handle documented poor performance). Other topics include clinical trial enrollment, cost control, end-of-life care, and mental health support.
The toolkit also includes a glossary to define medical terms and clarify potentially confusing jargon, including an explanation of the difference between genetic and genomic testing, and why both are important. It concludes with a list of peer-reviewed references.
The NCCN Employer Toolkit is available FREE online at NCCN.org/employertoolkit. It will be continuously updated to reflect any changing trends in health care policy.
NCCN Guidelines for Patients®
A cancer diagnosis brings with it not only the challenges of treatment, but also practical and emotional issues. NCCN resources aim to assist patients and their caregivers with overcoming the challenges related to cancer. NCCN Foundation® seeks to support the millions of patients and their families affected by a cancer diagnosis through development and distribution of NCCN Guidelines for Patients.
NCCN Guidelines for Patients are based on the same clinical practice guidelines used by healthcare professionals around the world. Each resource is designed to help people living with cancer talk with their physicians about the best treatment options for their disease.
Employers can support their workforce by promoting the NCCN Guidelines for Patients and other patient and caregiver resources to their employees. These resources are FREE of charge and can be found at NCCN.org/patientresources
If you are an employer looking for resources to support your employees or if you are an employee who wants to connect your employer to these resources, please contact:
Patrick Delaney
Executive Director, NCCN Foundation
delaney@nccn.org