Humana’s CenterWell Partners With Thyme Care on Cancer Support

Humana’s senior-focused primary care brands, CenterWell and Conviva, are partnering with Thyme Care to provide comprehensive cancer care support for eligible patients.

Thyme Care 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. Through Thyme Care, patients in Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have 24/7 access to a virtual team of oncology-trained clinicians, personalized navigation, and proactive support that helps them manage their diagnosis, stay connected to their care team, and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.

In 2023, Healthcare Innovation interviewed Bobby Green, M.D., president and chief medical officer at Thyme Care, who said that the practices getting experience in value-based care now will benefit down the road.

CenterWell said its agreement with Thyme Care represents a scalable model for improving outcomes in complex specialty conditions such as cancer. Eligible CenterWell and Conviva patients have access to Thyme Care’s suite of services, including:
• Continuous, high-touch patient support: Thyme Care’s virtual team of oncology-trained nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, and care partners provides 24/7 access to navigation and support. The team helps patients manage symptoms, coordinate appointments, and connect with high-value oncology practices for faster access to care.

• Access to community-based resources and social work support: Thyme Care identifies social and financial barriers to care and connects patients with local resources such as transportation, meal programs, and financial assistance. Its oncology social workers provide specialized emotional and practical support, helping patients manage the challenges of treatment and maintain stability throughout their cancer journey.

• Palliative and urgent care support: Thyme Care provides proactive symptom management to prevent emergency visits and integrates palliative care early in the cancer journey to ensure treatment aligns with each patient’s goals and preferences.

“A cancer diagnosis is one of the most challenging and complex experiences that patients and their families will face in the health care system, often requiring them to navigate multiple providers and treatment decisions,” said Brad Diephuis, M.D., President and chief operating officer at Thyme Care, in a statement. “Thyme Care extends the work of CenterWell’s primary care teams by providing continuous support that helps patients manage this complexity. Our collaboration demonstrates how primary and oncology care can work together to improve quality and lower costs. By integrating continuous support, proactive symptom management, and palliative care, we are creating a model that helps patients navigate cancer with greater confidence and clarity.”

Before joining Thyme Care, Diephuis served as senior advisor at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), where he helped lead the development of Medicare's vision for future total cost of care alternative payment models.