Thyme Care Oncology Partners: Provider-Powered Value-Based Care Model
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- Leading oncology clinics across the nation, including representation from all major managed service organizations, join TCOP to collaborate on value-based initiatives that guarantee patients have access to care, both in the clinic and beyond
- TCOP practices have the opportunity to participate in quality incentive programs which create novel revenue streams, generated from shared savings through Thyme Care’s arrangements with health plans and risk-bearing entities
- Designed to deeply integrate with oncology clinics and to align incentives across the healthcare ecosystem, Thyme Care’s model prioritizes health outcomes and reduces costs
NASHVILLE – March 13, 2023 – Thyme Care, the leading value-based cancer care enabler, today unveiled Thyme Care Oncology Partners (TCOP), a dedicated platform for oncology practices. More than 400 oncologists across 25 states have joined the platform. Thyme Care will partner with TCOP practices to design and implement value-based care programs for patients covered by participating risk-bearing entities and government-sponsored programs. Thyme Care’s comprehensive suite of services empowers oncologists to focus on proactive, patient-centric care, without added administrative or financial overhead.
Expensive therapies, delayed treatment, and unnecessary hospitalizations underscore the need for patient navigation and value-promoting interventions to reduce the rising costs of cancer care. Initiatives like CMS’ Enhancing Oncology Model and its 2024 decision to reimburse practices for patient navigation services signal a paradigm shift towards value-based cancer care. But, while patient navigation programs hold promise as a means of reducing low-value healthcare spend, they have traditionally been costly and burdensome for practices to implement, scale, and accurately measure.
“Traditional healthcare views value-based care as everyone’s job but no one’s responsibility – great in theory, but too daunting for one party to take accountability for. We’re bringing together all of the stakeholders in such a way that it makes sense for everyone to be a part of,” said Bobby Green, MD, co-founder, chief medical officer, and president of Thyme Care. “Too often in the past this has been attempted without collaborating with the people actually taking care of cancer patients, the oncologists. Together with our partners, we’re helping to drive this shift to value-based cancer care.”
In service of Thyme Care’s partnerships with health plans and other risk-bearing entities, the company offers its patient-centered care resources directly within oncology practices, including navigation services, operational and actuarial support, and the incentive to provide value-based activities not typically reimbursed in fee-for-service arrangements.
Thyme Care supports TCOP practices and their covered patients with:
- A 24/7 virtual, oncology-trained Care Team and wraparound services, including care coordination between providers, symptom management and electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs), and access to social and economic resources to alleviate SDoH barriers to care.
- A robust data & analytics engine to help practices better understand their populations, identify opportunities to increase value, and prioritize patient needs based on acuity. This also includes reporting capabilities to more accurately measure results at the single practice level.
- Novel payment models that unlock value-promoting therapeutic decisions without sacrificing critical practice economics.
By operating as an extension of the practice, Thyme Care reduces administrative burden, unlocks practice efficiency, and enables success in value-based arrangements. Thyme Care has the ability to rapidly expand new TCOP partnerships as the company contracts with more payer partnerships across commercial and Medicare Advantage segments with risk-bearing primary care groups. Through these partnerships with payers and providers, Thyme Care aligns incentives to create a collaborative, value-based framework that prioritizes patient-centric care while reducing costs.
To support Thyme Care’s growing TCOP partnerships and ensure success in these relationships, Mark Lombardi will join the company as senior vice president, provider partnerships. Mark is a strategic business growth leader who brings more than two decades of experience from GE Healthcare Financial Services, where he managed provider relationships and led practice transformation for the healthcare-dedicated global financial services firm.
Select quotes from oncology practices that have joined TCOP:
“As a practice already well-versed in delivering value-based care, we understand the impacts these services have on our patients. We also know how precarious managing these arrangements with payers can be. We want to focus on providing excellent cancer care for our community, so in evaluating value-based care partners, we needed a partner who understood the different payment models and could help us succeed in them. Thyme Care is the most patient-centric organization with the right model and team to help us elevate our success in innovative payment programs,” said Jeff Vacirca, MD, chief executive officer, New York Cancer Blood Specialists.
“Our strategic collaboration with Thyme Care will accelerate our value-based cancer care approach, and help us elevate the way we deliver cancer care in the community and succeed in innovative payment arrangements. We’re thrilled to be a part of their platform in service of our providers and patient-centric care,” said Stephen “Fred” Divers, MD, chief medical officer, American Oncology Network (AON).
“Thyme Care’s approach empowers us to emerge as frontrunners in value-based care in our region. With their partnership, we are equipped to embrace sophisticated payment models with confidence. Joining TCOP is a major plus for our business and our patients,” said Barry Russo, chief executive officer, The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
“We see Thyme Care as an extension of our practice. As a thriving community practice, being able to leverage Thyme Care’s data, analytics, and reporting capabilities have been a huge benefit, and present a significant opportunity for our practice to grow and lead the next generation of value-based cancer care,” said Kush Sachdeva, MD, president and managing partner, Southern Oncology Hematology Associates.
"Thyme Care's novel value-based arrangement with a health plan in our region made it easy for us to decide to participate. Thyme Care seamlessly integrated into our practice's workflow, making coordinating care for attributed members straightforward. We are excited about the opportunity to be positioned at the forefront of value-based cancer care without additional downside liability or operational burdens on our practice,” said Michaela Oswald, director of data analytics, Regional Cancer Care Associates.
“We’ve long partnered with Thyme Care in New Jersey and with their national expansion, we’re excited to see their evolution. We know how impactful their services and collaborative approach to cancer are for both patients and providers. We’re excited for their model to reach more people in need,” said Edward Licitra, PhD, MD, chief executive officer, Astera Cancer Care.
Providers interested in learning more about the TCOP platform can click here.
About Thyme Care
Thyme Care is the leading value-based care enabler, collaborating with payers and providers to transform the experience and outcomes for individuals living with cancer. The company partners with health plans, employers and risk-bearing providers to assume accountability for enhanced care quality, improved health outcomes, and reduced total cost of care. Thyme Care's approach combines a technology-enabled Care Team and seamless integration with providers, creating a hybrid collaborative care delivery model that guides and supports the entire patient journey. Thyme Care empowers oncologists nationwide through purpose-built tech, advanced data analytics, and virtual patient engagement, driving better care and outcomes in value-based arrangements. Thyme Care is a founding member of CancerX, and is backed by leading investors. To learn more about how Thyme Care is enabling the shift to value-based care in oncology, visit www.thymecare.com.
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Kimberly Dreisinger
Thyme Care Communications
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