Cancer Benefits That Matter: What HR Leaders Should Consider Offering Their Members

Cancer continues to be one of the most complex and costly conditions affecting employees and the organizations that support them. As treatments improve and diagnoses rise, employers are being called on to rethink how they structure cancer-related benefits to meet evolving needs.

These days, it’s not just about offering coverage; It’s about offering the right support at the right time, and ensuring that care is the most appropriate, the highest quality available, and affordable for both the member and their employer

Cancer is a growing cost driver for employers

Cancer is already a top-three cost driver for most self-insured employers—according to the Business Group on Health 2025 Health Care Strategy Survey, 80% of self-insured employers ranked cancer among their top three highest-cost conditions for their health plans (compared to MSK, which was the second highest at 74%, and cardiovascular, which was the third highest at 40%)—and this trend is only expected to grow. According to the American Cancer Society’s 2025 estimates, more than two million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year—the highest ever recorded.

The financial impact is substantial. A joint report from PwC and Carrum Health found that cancer accounts for at least 15% of total employer healthcare spend, and employers anticipate a 9% annual increase in those costs for the next several years.

Yet despite these rising costs, the traditional benefits structure often leaves employees overwhelmed with complex treatment paths, out-of-pocket expenses, and limited access to expert care.

That’s where a more strategic approach comes in.

Rethinking cancer benefits: What matters for HR

For HR leaders evaluating their benefit design, here are the critical elements that will define a strong cancer care offering in the year ahead:

1. Early detection and screening access

Employers are in a unique position to encourage preventive care. Offering access to at-home cancer screening kits or facilitating on-site screenings can help catch certain cancers before symptoms appear.

According to the CDC, early detection of cancer through regular screenings can improve survival rates by up to 90%, allowing for earlier, less invasive treatment and significantly lowering long-term healthcare costs. For self-insured employers, this means reduced high-cost claims, fewer disability absences, and better employee health outcomes.

When screenings are part of your cancer care employee benefits, it sends a strong message that long-term health is a priority—not just a policy.

Check out essential cancer screening guidelines here.

2. Value-based treatment options

Traditional fee-for-service care often leads to variation in quality and costs—with little transparency or predictability. A value-based model, on the other hand, creates aligned incentives between providers and employers, ensuring members receive high-quality, evidence-based care at a predictable (and often lower) cost.

Carrum’s value-based cancer treatment program can reduce oncology spend by up to 30% per treatment episode—while eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for employees. This latter part is especially critical considering that, in the United States, individuals with cancer are nearly three times more likely to experience bankruptcy than those without, highlighting the critical need to protect employees from financial toxicity. Carrum’s Cancer Care program creates such significant savings for employers that many opt to pass on some of those savings to their members by waiving members’ cost share.

Explore Carrum’s Value-Based Cancer Care Solution. 

3. Access to centers of excellence

When a person receives a cancer diagnosis, getting them to the right provider quickly is crucial. Centers of excellence (COEs) give members access to specialists with deep expertise in specific cancer types, along with comprehensive treatment options.

These high-performing cancer treatment centers bring together multidisciplinary teams, evidence-based protocols, and the latest medical advancements—delivering coordinated, patient-centered care from diagnosis through recovery. This approach not only improves clinical outcomes but also reduces unnecessary treatments, complications, and delays—providing employees with clarity, confidence, and a better care experience when they need it most.

See how Carrum built the nation’s largest cancer COE network (which has since expanded to 650+ facilities). 

4. Whole-person support for the cancer journey

Cancer isn’t just a clinical challenge—it’s emotional, logistical, and financial, too. True employee cancer care programs go beyond traditional coverage by surrounding individuals with support at every step of the journey:

• Dedicated Cancer Care Navigators guide employees and their families through the complexity of treatment decisions, appointments, and provider coordination.
• Mental health support is integrated from diagnosis through survivorship, addressing the emotional toll that often accompanies serious illness.
• Leave management and benefits navigation help employees balance work and care responsibilities without added stress.
• Personalized resources and education are delivered at the right time—whether it’s understanding a diagnosis, preparing for treatment, or managing life after cancer.
• Financial guidance is also key, helping employees understand coverage, avoid surprise bills, and minimize out-of-pocket expenses.

5. Flexible, modular benefit design

No two organizations—and no two cancer journeys—are the same. That’s why HR leaders are looking for modular solutions that allow them to tailor benefits to the needs of their workforce.

Whether it’s virtual second opinions, access to remote diagnostics, or local treatment options, flexibility is a defining feature of the best cancer care benefits.

What this means for HR leaders

As cancer continues to rise in prevalence—and in cost—employers have both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead with benefits that are smarter, more humane, and more effective.

By shifting toward value-based, whole-person solutions that prioritize outcomes over volume, HR leaders can:

• Improve employee satisfaction and retention
• Control rising oncology-related costs
• Offer a benefit that genuinely improves lives

When built with the right partners, a cancer benefits strategy becomes more than a line item. It becomes a statement of values—and a smart financial decision.