Enhancing Oncology Care: New Patient Cancer Support Program Launching Jan. 1

Navigating a cancer diagnosis and treatment regimen can be challenging for patients. To address the common hurdles of symptom management and provide real-time support between visits, Highmark is launching a Cancer Support program, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

The Cancer Support program consists of a 24/7 nurse line, run by Evolent clinical staff and a digital support app. Members who choose not to use the cancer support app can still access to the 24/7 nurse line and connect with Evolent staff to report symptoms or ask questions related to their diagnosis, treatment, or medications. Once contacted by the patient, the Evolent team will triage your patient’s reported symptoms or questions and follow-up with the patient within 24 hours after alerting you and your office.

This program is designed to empower your patients and keep your care team informed.

Program Overview

By combining an easy-to-use app with 24/7 clinical support, the Cancer Support program keeps patients engaged and supported between office visits.

Features include:

• Symptom Entry and Triage: Patients can log symptoms, gauge severity using an easy-to-understand, red-yellow-green system, and receive real-time guidance from Evolent Oncology clinical staff on next steps.
• Optional Caregiver Inclusion: Patients can choose to invite family members or caregivers to view their status and updates within the digital app.
• Medication Management: Offers tools for tracking medications, adherence, and setting automated reminders.
• Vitals Tracking and Journaling: Capabilities for monitoring vitals and maintaining a personal journal.
• Educational Resources: Access to self-care articles and recipes.
• 24/7 Cancer Support Nurse Line: Staffed by Evolent Oncology nurses, this round-the-clock phone line provides professional symptom triage, medication education, and 24-hour follow-ups for patients experiencing clinically significant issues.

The Cancer Support App is available for members via the Highmark member portal on mobile and desktop. This program is an additional benefit offered to your eligible Highmark members and is not a replacement for the care they receive from their current providers or referrals to other in-network providers. Member participation is voluntary.

Streamlined Communication and Proactive Provider Awareness

We understand the importance of keeping the primary oncology team in the loop. The program is built to enhance care coordination rather than disrupt it:

• Proactive Notifications: When a member logs a clinically significant symptom within the Cancer Support app or calls the 24/7 nurse line, Evolent Oncology nurses provide proactive outreach and coordinate directly with you when clinical intervention or notification is warranted.
• Enhanced Case Management: Highmark Case Managers receive timely notifications regarding significant symptoms, enabling holistic, whole-person support from diagnosis through survivorship.

Expected Outcomes

By bridging the gap between clinical visits, this program is designed to improve quality of life for your patients, prevent complications through proactive symptom management, and reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and inpatient admissions.