Employers have become more focused on connecting people with good care as they watch their health care costs climb, according to the Associated Press. Companies have long sent patients to care providers that they rate as so-called “centers of excellence,” benefits experts say.
Planning for cancer care also has become a bigger focus for employers in general, and Walmart’s employees and their dependents are now being offered expanded cancer treatment with doctors at the Mayo Clinic through the retailer’s insurance coverage.
The nation’s largest private employer said Wednesday that those covered by the insurance and diagnosed with most types of cancer will be able to get a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic and then travel to the clinic for treatment if needed.
The retail giant’s action comes as more employers seek better care options and are paying particular attention to cancer treatments, benefits experts say.
Walmart’s cancer program had been offering employees and their dependents help from the Mayo Clinic on breast, lung, colon, prostate, pancreatic, and blood cancers. It is now expanding the coverage to include most other cancers.
The only exceptions are three skin cancers — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and localized melanoma — which can be treated at a local doctor’s office, the company said.
