New research finds more screening is needed as cancer incidence rates are rising in the U.S.

At a time when cancer incidence rates are rising, 72% of benefits leaders say that primary care providers and health plans are not meeting the cancer screening needs for their populations. In addition, 90% of benefits leaders surveyed said insurance coverage alone does not adequality provide key health care benefits to employees.

The findings are part of a new report by Color Health, which has partnered with the American Cancer Society (ACS) in providing cancer prevention and screening programs for employees across the country. In the new report, entitled “2024 Employer Insights Report: The State of Cancer,” Color Health explored employer perspectives on cancer and the economic burden it puts on employers and employees alike.

One of the biggest takeaways from the report is that health care spending is misaligned, and not providing the necessary screening and preventive services for Americans enrolled in employer-sponsored plans.

“In recent years, cancer has become a top driver of health care costs for employers. With this survey, we set out to better understand how employers are thinking about cancer and addressing the needs of their employees and their businesses,” said Othman Laraki, CEO of Color. “The results confirm what we know to be true: focusing on prevention and early detection is the best way to improve cancer outcomes and reduce costs. But it’s clear many employers struggle to design programs that align with their own priorities and need support implementing comprehensive cancer benefits.”

A top concern for employers

The new study surveyed more than 250 HR and benefits leaders in companies that have worker populations of 500 to 50,000 covered lives. It found that cancer, along with choric condition management, is a top driver of health care costs for large employers. The survey said 80% of employers are concerned about rising cancer costs. And 97% of those surveyed agreed that catching cancer as early as possible is a win-win for both employers and employees.

Screening a detection is a top priority, with 62% of respondents saying their company plans to prioritize cancer screening and prevention offering in 2024. However, only 25% said that health plans are meeting employee needs for screening, and the same percentage said they agreed that primary care providers are getting enough employees screened for cancer.

The survey revealed that employees themselves are not being diligent about screening. The understandable fear of what screening might find is one disincentive, the study’s authors said. “Concerns about coverage, cost, and finding the time to attend a screening are other significant challenges for employees as they navigate and schedule routine tests,” report said. “Overcoming these barriers will require employee engagement; education; scheduling support; and navigation and advocacy services to get the care they need.”

The study also pointed out that employers do not have good access to their populations’ cancer screening rates—only 16% of employers have access to combined employee screening rates for breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, and cervical cancers. Those cancers are responsible for 1 in 4 cancer deaths, the report noted.

Mortality declining—but cases are increasing

The ACS recently released a report finding that there is a good news/bad news aspect to the latest cancer numbers. Its Jan. 17 report found that cancer mortality continues to decline in the U.S., with 4 million fewer deaths due to cancer in the U.S. since 1991.

However, the rate of cancer cases, or incidence, has been increasing. The study found an increasing incidence for 6 of the top 10 cancers, and the projected number of new diagnoses now tops 2 million for the first time in the U.S.

“We’re encouraged by the steady drop in cancer mortality as a result of less smoking, earlier detection for some cancers, and improved treatment,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report. “But as a nation, we’ve dropped the ball on cancer prevention as incidence continues to increase for many common cancers – like breast, prostate, and endometrial, as well as colorectal and cervical cancers in some young adults.”

The report underlined those rising incidence rates for younger Americans being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. “Rising colorectal cancer incidence has rapidly shifted mortality patterns in adults under 50 years of age; colorectal cancer has moved up from being the fourth leading cause of cancer death in both younger men and women two decades ago to first in men and second in women. Breast cancer leads in women under 50 with 2,251 deaths in 2021,” ACS said in a statement.

Related: Virtual care: A personalized support throughout the cancer journey

Concerns about younger people and cancer comes at a time when health care disparities are also a concern. The ACS report noted that compared to white people, mortality rates are twice as high for prostate, stomach, and uterine corpus cancers in Black people and for liver, stomach, and kidney cancers in Native American people.

That report includes a call for wider access to health insurance and better policies in areas such as screening and research. “This report underscores the need for public policy interventions to help reduce these cancer disparities and save more lives,” said Lisa A. Lacasse, president of ACS’s advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “We urge lawmakers at all levels of government to advance policies that ensure more people have health insurance coverage as well as improved access to and affordability of care, such as increased funding for cancer research and screening programs. Doing so will bring us closer to our vision of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone.”