Praveen Thadani, president/CEO of Priority Health, a nationally recognized health plan serving more than 1.3 million members, met with First Lady Jill Biden and other health care executives to discuss expanded care for cancer patients.

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Praveen Thadani, president/CEO of Priority Health, and First Lady Jill Biden. (Photo: Business Wire)

The March 27 meeting, held at the White House, centered on the expansion of patient navigation services as part of President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative. Navigators guide cancer patients through the complexities of the health care system with the goal of improving outcomes and reducing health care costs.

During the meeting, Thadani said he can speak from personal experience about the value of patient navigators after recently losing his father to cancer.

“I saw firsthand through my father’s experience how complicated the journey can be,” said Thadani. “When you suffer from cancer, you go through a range of emotions, including fear, loss, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. Navigators are a positive first step to offer much-needed support for cancer patients, caregivers and families during such a complex journey.”

Jill Biden said patients who have navigators alongside them miss fewer doctor appointments, are more likely to complete their treatment and are less likely to need to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized.

“Navigators guide patients and their families through the complex and daunting world of cancer,” Biden said. “They help patients with everything from scheduling appointments to keeping track of medications to coordinating things like transportation and childcare. When you have someone who knows the system by your side every step of the way, it changes everything.”

Priority Health will track associated health outcomes of patients who are benefiting from navigation services, such as the number of emergency room and urgent care visits, and other care quality and experience measures.

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About Priority Health:

With over 30 years in business, Priority Health is the second largest health plan in Michigan, offering an extensive portfolio of health benefits options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Serving more than 1.3 million members each year and offering a broad network of primary care physicians in Michigan, Priority Health continues to be recognized as a leader for quality, customer service, transparency and product innovation. Learn more about affordable, quality health coverage options from Priority Health.

^{MEDIA NOTE: Video of Praveen Thadani’s comments can be found from 6:29-8:22 at this link Cancer Moonshot CEO Meeting (youtube.com).}

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