For people living with cancer, access to treatment is often delayed or denied by the very health plans they hoped would support them. Prior authorization, step therapy, coverage stoppages and other utilization management practices can stand between patients and the care their doctor has prescribed.
The Micro Insights, Macro Impact initiative set out to capture the human experience of utilization management and demonstrate the need for policy change. The initiative built upon CancerCare's Insurance Red Tape Report. Working alongside an Advisory Committee of experts from across the oncology community and in partnership with patient advocates, CancerCare led the initiative across three connected phases:
- Listening. Through virtual focus groups, CancerCare engaged patients and caregivers across insurance types — employer-sponsored plans, Medicare and Medicaid — to capture the real-life impact of barriers faced while accessing cancer care.
- Empowering. Building on patient perspectives, CancerCare hosted an interactive advocacy workshop and developed a downloadable grassroots advocacy toolkit complete with template letters that patients and caregivers can personalize and send directly to federal and state lawmakers.
- Amplifying. CancerCare will carry these stories and insights into ongoing federal and state policy work — amplifying patient voices in meetings with policymakers, written and oral testimony and letter-writing campaigns to drive policy solutions that reduce utilization management barriers and expand access to cancer care.
Focus Group Report
Behind the Barriers: Patient Voices on Access to Treatment captures the real-life experiences of people living with cancer as they navigate the insurance system. Drawing on a series of in-depth focus groups with patients across commercial, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, the report surfaces the shared challenges that disrupt patients' daily lives long after a diagnosis. Together, these stories put a human face to the data and point to where policy change is needed most.
Advocacy Toolkit
The Advocacy Toolkit is a step-by-step guide for patients and caregivers who want to turn their experience with insurance barriers into policy change. It breaks down common access barriers and offers practical ways for patients and caregivers to share their story, including a downloadable template letter to policymakers, sample social media posts and tips for meeting with policymakers.