Payer Targets Health Equity in Colorectal Cancer Prevention

Independence Blue Cross (Independence) is partnering with a nonprofit dedicated to colorectal cancer awareness and research in order to improve preventive care and health equity for colorectal cancer.

Along with Colorectal Cancer Alliance (the Alliance), Independence will work toward bringing colorectal cancer screenings to more Philadelphians, specifically more Black residents, through a program called Cycles of Impact.

“At Independence, we are dedicated to ensuring equitable access to health care for all, and that starts with identifying and addressing disparities that impact our members and communities head on. We know that Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by colorectal cancer and that their screening rates have declined. Through this partnership with the Alliance we are taking action to improve screening rates and save lives,” said Gregory E. Deavens, president and chief executive officer of Independence.

Independence plans to invest $2.5 million in the Cycles of Impact program. 

Cycles of Impact is a pilot program that aims to screen at least 2,400 people in Philadelphia. The goal is to prevent 60 or more cancer diagnoses, particularly among Black Philadelphians. 

“As the largest nonprofit organization committed to ending colorectal cancer, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance is uniquely positioned to lead and succeed with this bold program,” said Michael Sapienza, chief executive officer of the Alliance. 

“In our 23-year history, we have provided one-on-one support for more than two million patients and caregivers dealing with this disease. Our novel digital and live navigation platform provided more than 12,000 personalized screening recommendations last year alone based on individuals’ risk profiles. We are determined to continue to break down barriers to care and to demonstrate impact in Philadelphia that will lead to a scalable approach for other U.S. cities.”

Sapienza also noted that a third of all adults who should receive a colorectal cancer screening do not get screened. 

He added that lowering the screening age could expand the number of Americans who receive the screening. By lowering the screening age, 20 million more Americans might receive a colorectal cancer screening, which could mean catching the disease earlier, providing swifter intervention, and improving the survival rate.

The pilot program will launch in the summer of 2022 with early results available at the end of the same year. Cycles of Impact will continue through 2025.

The program is considered part of the Accelerate Health Equity collaboration. The collaboration started in March 2022 and is a concerted effort between Independence, academic institutions, health systems, and the local government to address health equity in Philadelphia. The collaboration also includes federally qualified health centers and 50 community-based organizations.

Independence is a subsidiary of Independence Health Group, an entity that has also taken steps to improve health equity in Pennsylvania.

In 2021, Independence Health Group released data showing that its supplier diversity program had resulted in a $375 million impact in 2018. The program sought to partner with and purchase businesses that were owned by minority groups. The program contributed to the national economy, created jobs, and increased salaries, benefit payments, and tax revenues.

The supplier diversity program has been around for three decades.

Screening is an important way to prevent colorectal cancer, but it is not the only step that payers can take in order to support members who are at risk for colorectal cancer. Payers can educate members on colorectal cancer, identify and close gaps in care, and offer telehealth and home healthcare methods of support. 

Home testing kits have become a popular way to overcome barriers to screenings. Such tests are available for colon cancer, which is a subset of colorectal cancer.