EP233: Integrative Oncology Is a Clinically Proven Approach—Here’s to Hoping That News Gets Out to Payers and Patients, With Glenn Sabin of FON Consulting

The Society for Integrative Oncology recently completed a systematic evaluation of peer-reviewed randomized clinical trials for patients with breast cancer. The researchers assigned letter grades to therapies based on the strength of the evidence.

Meditation got an A; it had the strongest evidence supporting its use. Music therapy, yoga, and massage received a B grade. Hypnosis got a C. By the way, the letter grade varied depending on the symptoms that were involved. You can go on the website of the Society for Integrative Oncology if you want to look up the trial itself.

So, here’s my question: Are insurance carriers paying for music therapy, meditation, and yoga? How about cooking classes? Some are, generally if it’s part of the services provided by the cancer center. It’s striking, though, that every single insurance carrier will pay for the downstream costs of unfettered anxiety, stress, poor nutrition … you get the idea—things that an integrative oncology focus would aim to attenuate.

Do employers know about integrative oncology? I think I’d rather have an employee on a cocktail of music therapy and yoga than a cocktail of pretty much anything else.

I’m thinking about this because if these therapies are not covered benefits, then I’m going to doubt that the middle-of-the-bell-curve employees or patients can afford them. Who’s going to “splurge” on meditation classes when GoFundMe has a whole section to help people pay for their traditional cancer care?

Today I speak with Glenn Sabin, an integrative oncology consultant at FON Consulting. Glenn is a nationally recognized thought leader with a reputation for successfully positioning integrative health organizations for sustainable growth.

Glenn Sabin is director of FON Consulting, a leading strategy and business development consultancy specializing in the integrative health and medicine sector. FON’s clients span from medical practices, hospitals, and health systems to nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and media companies. Glenn brings economic and moral clarity to the misnomer that health creation and promotion cannot align with profitability.