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58%
of people are more likely to use an at-home test kit if received directly from their insurance carrier and 36% are more likely if they received it from their employer1
Getting the right care to all for colorectal cancer screenings - How Labcorp worked with a large national plan to improve member health
13 October 2023
In an effort to increase testing availability and lower death rates associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), a large national plan partnered with Labcorp to close their colorectal cancer screening gaps in care to more effectively improve member health. They partnered with us because of our successful, nearly 10-year relationship with them and because they’d come to expect excellent results from Labcorp—knowing that everything we do is rooted in science.
The Goal
The program targeted their commercial population, employee population and individual family plans. Our aim was to make getting a fit test as easy as possible for the plan’s members and communicate the ease and availability of the program.
The Message
The message was simple. You’re not getting a colonoscopy live in front of millions of viewers. You’re not spending time and money to go to the doctor or hospital to get a CRC test. You can be safe and receive a fit test from the comfort of your own home—at no cost to you—and gain invaluable peace of mind.
The Test
The Labcorp ColoFIT™ Colon Cancer Home Collection Test (immunochemical fecal occult blood test) is a trusted colon cancer test recommended once a year for individuals ages 45 and older at average risk for colon cancer. This colorectal cancer screening test can detect the presence of hidden blood in the stool, giving you the answers you need to plan for a healthier future.
Key Takeaways
- A flexible and cost-effective specimen collection kit and process was needed and delivered upon
- Unique workflow was created for a hard-to-reach geographical region
- 2.6x higher test return rates and follow-up
The challenge
With over two million lives in the national plan, the biggest challenges were engagement and costs. The plan had only done an auto-deploy program before, where fit test collection kits were sent to all eligible members. That had been quite costly, so they were looking for a more economically effective solution.
The partnership
We worked in tandem with the plan to determine price points that were comfortable for us and for them—while still achieving the plan’s unique goals. So, we built a program where interested, eligible members were offered the choice to opt-in and request CRC test kits after combined outreach efforts from Labcorp and the plan. With this approach, we wanted to give members the choice to take control of their own health.
The target
Additionally, logistics were a challenge because a large portion of their population was in the Virgin Islands, a traditionally hard-to-reach region with historically low screening rates due to a limited number of healthcare providers, locations and services.
Trust the process
This program was specifically built for the plan’s unique needs to maximize efficiencies, keep costs controlled and still drive higher rates of engagement. Labcorp managed the entire process from engaging patients to providing at-home test collection kits for better access, privacy and convenience, all the way through to analyzing the results of the program.
Personalized engagement workflows
Our personalized patient engagement workflow leveraged email, letter and text message (SMS), so members could choose the format they preferred most for communications. This approach manufactured a 2.6x higher return rate from plan participants after receiving a reminder. Meeting people where they want to be met in a flexible, cost-effective way for the plan was crucial to the early success of the program.
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Help is here
Members could also contact our customer care team with any questions or concerns, such as how to perform the test, where to send it and how to call us if the test result was positive to discuss next steps. This streamlined the process for everyone involved and helped maximize the plan’s customer service resources.
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Labcorp cares
It also showed the plan members that there’s a truly human component to what can be a scary process for many. The plan and Labcorp wanted to ensure they felt cared for and not just a component of a rigid scientific or insurance process and methodology.
Delivering at-home collection test kits
Two key drivers influenced our decision to mail co-branded materials from the plan and Labcorp and to send the kits to the members’ home addresses:
60%
of consumers who are of age for screening but have yet to do it would prefer an at-home test kit over a colonoscopy1
Analyzing results
The plan couldn’t collect certain metrics from their internal reporting, so Labcorp was able to share the 65% return rate and a dashboard full of other personalized metrics, which exceeded the plan’s expectations. Our reporting also included logistical information on shipping, return rates, positivity rates and outreach, demographic information and HIPAA-compliant reporting metrics.
Additionally, a satisfaction survey offered by our customer care team revealed that 95% of those who called the customer care team were satisfied with the process. Overwhelmingly, they found that the program was simple to do and reported they were glad they did it.
Moving forward to fight CRC
After successful implementation of the first joint opt-in program to combat CRC, the plan and Labcorp are both looking to build from this foundation to have even more success in year two and beyond. If you’re thinking of ways to get your more fit tests to your members, here are considerations to implementing your program.
Gaps in care programs at Labcorp
Discover how the power of national reference lab testing quality combined with convenient at-home options to access testing help you efficiently improve population health.
References
1. Labcorp and Colorectal Cancer Alliance patient survey. https://files.labcorp.com/labcorp-d8/2023-03/Labcorp_%20Count%20On%20You_%20 Patient%20Survey_%20FINAL.pdf