Employees are living with cancer but their benefits are failing them

• Key Insight: Learn how widening benefits beyond treatment is becoming a strategic workforce imperative.
• What's at Stake: Rising cancer prevalence threatens talent retention, benefits costs, and operational continuity.
• Forward Look: Expect pressure for benefits covering advanced therapies, caregiving, housing and paid leave.
  Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

Cancer touches millions of employees and their families each year, yet the benefits meant to support them often fall short of the realities of diagnosis, treatment and recovery. 

Seventy-four percent of employers report a rising prevalence of cancer within their workforce, according to data from the World Health Organization, a statistic that doesn't show any sign of slowing down with global cancer cases projected to rise 77% by 2050. It's becoming critical for leaders to design comprehensive, inclusive benefits that address the full spectrum of cancer care needs, from treatment access to caregiving and financial support.  

"Unfortunately, there is a big stigma about being diagnosed with cancer and that's often the first battle," says Christina Merrill, a long-time oncology social worker and founder of the Bone Marrow Cancer Foundation. "Then, for those brave enough to share their diagnosis, they face a lack of resources because HR groups aren't well versed in cancer needs." 

Read more: Cancer care in 2026: The latest oncology breakthroughs & your benefit strategy

Healthcare coverage lacks cancer coverage

While most employees have some sort of medical coverage through their work, cancer care is often not covered by many medical plans, Merrill says. In this day and age patients want access to newer, more progressive options like stem cell transplants, CAR T-cell therapy and other immunotherapies that weren't widely available even a decade ago. However, not all cancer centers offer these treatments and not all benefit plans cover them, forcing patients to not only compete for a spot at these expensive facilities, but to pay for it out of pocket — which can run them up to $20,000 annually, according to the American Cancer Society.

In addition to more robust coverage to manage treatment costs, according to Merrill, employees also need their healthcare benefits to provide support beyond medical needs.  

"Most insurance doesn't pay for things like housing," she says. "When somebody lives thirty to fifty miles away from the treatment facility, how can they maintain two homes if they need it? How can they get a hotel room if they can't afford it? People are worrying about their living expenses on top of medical bills."

Read more: Hot Topic, Color Health streamline access to cancer screening

Leave benefits are falling short

Healthcare isn't the only place where employees are losing money and support. Many people are being forced to take unpaid time off due to insufficient sick leave to attend appointments or take rest from their treatments. Those acting as a primary caregiver for a child or spouse with cancer play a critical role in supporting their loved one emotionally, physically and financially — yet they often face restricted access to leave if they are not the patient. 

"Sometimes a caregiver needs to take off just as much time as the patient itself," Merrill says. "And that still remains a huge area of need."

As a result, around 21% of caregivers and 16% of patients leave their jobs due to cancer-related demands, according to the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.

Read more: How to best mitigate the cost of cancer treatments

Creating comprehensive cancer support

Education is the first step in addressing both areas, according to Merrill. Organizations should be ensuring that employers and HR and benefit divisions have the knowledge on their populations' own cancer needs as well as whether their benefit coverage is meeting those needs and eliminating any stigma around the subject. Partnering with third-party organizations that focus on expanded coverage can be one way for them to address disparities, Merrill says. For example, the Bone Marrow Cancer Foundation offers mental health expanded mental health support, housing assistance through Airbnb, as well as free programs and resources for both leaders and patients. 

Keeping employees at work and in the workforce is only possible if those employees feel safe and healthy and like their cancer diagnosis matters to their leaders, according to Merrill. 

"Cancer is no longer a death sentence," she says. "People are actively living with cancer, which makes it more important than ever to provide as many resources and opportunities as possible."