Johnson: When it’s cancer, you deserve more than a number on a spreadsheet

For decades, Medicare Advantage plans have helped millions of Americans manage the costs of healthcare. But today, we're watching many of these plans struggle under the weight of their own design — and patients, particularly those facing cancer, are caught in the middle.

Across the country, insurers are reporting record losses on their Medicare Advantage products. Costs are rising faster than payments. More people are being diagnosed with complex, chronic conditions. And regulatory changes from the federal government have made it harder for plans to get reimbursed. Cancer care is at the heart of this financial strain. Advances in immunotherapy, cellular therapy and precision medicine have transformed cancer treatment, extending lives, improving outcomes and, in many cases, offering cures that weren't possible a decade ago. But these breakthroughs come with higher upfront costs, even as they reduce hospitalizations and emergency visits in the long run. For an insurance company managing thousands of members, it's a balancing act. For a patient newly diagnosed with cancer, it's a lifeline. Unfortunately, when insurers face mounting losses, they often make difficult choices: narrowing their networks, raising co-pays or exiting certain regions altogether. Those decisions might stabilize their balance sheets, but they can limit patients' choices, removing access to the kind of comprehensive cancer care that can make the difference between remission and relapse.

At Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, our mission has never changed. We're here to ensure that every person in Western New York has access to world-class cancer care, no matter what insurance card they carry. We continue to work with many Medicare Advantage plans to provide that access. See RoswellPark.org/medicare for a list of health insurance plans that Roswell Park is in-network with. If you are already a Medicare beneficiary or nearing age 65, this is an important moment to understand your options. The annual enrollment period, which ends on Dec. 7, allows you to review your plan and ensure that your preferred doctors and hospitals are included in your network — coverage that can be especially important for those in the middle of a cancer journey. When it's cancer, you deserve the best care possible — care delivered by experts using the most advanced therapies available anywhere in the world. At Roswell Park, that's what we do every day. Don't let an insurance decision stand between you and your care. Because when it's cancer, you need the right care at the right time.

Contributed by Candace S. Johnson, Ph.D., president, CEO and M&T Bank presidential chair in leadership at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.