The Financial Toxicity Tumor Board approach alleviates the cost of cancer treatments

The Financial Toxicity Tumor Board approach alleviates the cost of cancer treatments

Financial Toxicity, the financial burden associated with cancer treatment significantly impacts patient outcomes. To combat this, Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute established a Financial Toxicity Tumor Board in 2019.

The board is the first known institutional-level intervention of its kind and functions like a traditional multidisciplinary disease cancer board, but with a unique focus on financial distress. It includes participants from all areas of the cancer center, including clinical, support and administrative areas.

A new study online in theJournal of the National Comprehensive Cancer NetworkAnalyzes the board's impact over the past five years.

Financial toxicity significantly impacts the quality of life and overall well-being of cancer patients. It has also been linked to reduced treatment effectiveness and an increased risk of death. “

Thomas G. Knight, MD, chair of the Financial Toxicity Tumor Board, oncologist at Atrium Health Levine Cancer and clinical associate professor in the division of hematology and oncology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine

The board consists of two main parts. The first concerns participant referrals made by patients, family members, carers, doctors, nurses, social workers, financial advisors, pharmacists and staff. The second part includes the Patient Assistance Program, created to systematically review each new treatment plan to determine whether patients qualify for free medications or help with copays. Pharmacy technicians also support this process.

Key findings from the study include:

• Over 70 cases were presented to the Tumor Board with over 90%, resulting in immediate solutions for individual patients and systemic changes.

• 9,321 patients were supported by copay assistance, resulting in over $10 million in benefits for patients.

• 16,495 patients received free medications worth nearly $393 million.

The Board has established a process for applying for grants from various foundations and nonprofit organizations. Financial navigators kept records of available grants and assisted patients with applications and provided care for many struggling to afford treatment.

The Board also addressed denied health insurance claims, examining the reasons for denials and advocating for patients. This resulted in many claims being approved to provide the required coverage without financial hardship.

"To demonstrate the uniqueness of our model, consider a patient who loses their employer insurance because they cannot work. They have difficulty paying for treatment, transportation and household expenses," Knight said. “After the case is presented, the board will receive transportation, food and expenses subsidies in addition to Cobra.”

Knight also emphasized how helping a patient can help others.

“The real value of this model is that everyone involved is in the room together and can recognize that this is a foreseeable problem for other patients with similar circumstances,” Knight said. “We can then form a working group to identify patients in these similar circumstances and intervene before they reach crisis.”

Knight said the cost savings for patients justify the need for other cancer centers to explore this approach.

“Our analysis shows that a focused systemic intervention on financial toxicity can lead to significant improvements,” Knight said. “This model should become a new standard of care to improve the financial well-being of cancer patients.”

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