Business Group on Health was among a diverse group of employers and select industry stakeholders who convened March 18 at the White House for a closed roundtable, as part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, on workforce-enabled cancer screenings. The gathering’s goal was to advance knowledge-sharing and best practices to make cancer screenings more accessible, and it served as a vital milestone in the collective fight against cancer.
The roundtable participants held some differing perspectives, but they all came to the White House with a shared passion to make real progress towards ending cancer as we know it.
Attendees from large companies and organizations, who together provide benefits for millions of employees and their families, represented an array of industries, including financial services, technology, retail and pharmaceuticals. Alongside the Biden Administration, this set of employers, benefit managers, experts and advocates sought alignment for workforce-enabled cancer screening and early detection. They also exchanged ideas on removing barriers to care and boosting workforce-enabled access and utilization of cancer-screening services to both improve health outcomes and lower health care costs.
Early diagnosis of the disease can reduce the cost of cancer treatment by billions of dollars per year. This is critical for many reasons, as employers indicated that cancer is the No. 1 driver of health care costs for the second year in a row in the Business Group’s 2024 Large Employer Health Care Strategy Survey. Fully 86% said it ranked among the top three drivers of cost, the 2024 survey showed. The Biden Cancer Moonshot will certainly help in tackling these challenges in the future, saving lives in the process.
Business Group on Health has a wealth of resources on employer perspectives on cancer. These include:
- 2024 Large Employer Health Care Strategy Survey, (executive summary) which identifies the increased prevalence of late-stage cancer diagnoses, likely a lingering effect of the pandemic. In response, employers have focused on advanced screening measures and maintaining 100% coverage for recommended prevention and screening services. They are also watching clinical advancements in oncology, including biomarker testing and immunotherapies, and remain focused on guiding members to high-quality care.
- Infographic: Cancer: Improve Quality, Reduce Costs, which expands on the top conditions driving health costs for large employers.
- Trends to Watch in 2024, which includes employers focusing on cancer as well as other serious or chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cardiac health and musculoskeletal conditions. Fully 41% of employers also expect to see higher chronic condition management needs in the future.
- Podcast: Cancer and Careers – Moving Forward Without Fear, during which the Business Group explores the challenges faced by people diagnosed with cancer during their prime working years. Among other uncertainties, they often question how to balance work with treatment and recovery, and the impact of disclosing their diagnosis.
The Biden Cancer Moonshot seeks to prevent more than 4 million cancer deaths by 2047 and improve the experience of those touched by cancer. We look forward to the next steps of this initiative and continuing the conversation with the Biden Administration. Learn more about the Biden Cancer Moonshot here.
