Being treated in an integrated delivery network (IDN) for a common malignancy does not appear to lower costs, through there are a few exceptions, researchers concluded after conducting a study involving >428,000 individuals. Participants were between 66 and 99 years of age, Medicare insured, and diagnosed with prostate, bladder, esophageal, pancreatic, lung, liver, kidney, colorectal, breast, or ovarian cancer between 2007 and 2012. Investigators looked at claims from all phases of care and determined how treatment setting impacted costs.

Overall, there were no differences in payments between those treated in IDNs and non-IDNs:

• Initial phase treatments in both settings were ~$14,000.
• Continuing phase treatments were ~$2,000.
• End of life phase treatments were ~$16,000.

Payments for some phases of selected cancers differed by setting:

• End of life bladder cancer payments were ~$11,000 for patients treated in IDNs, vs >$12,000 for those in non-IDN settings.
• Initial and continuing-care phase payments were lower in IDN-treated patients with either pancreatic, lung, esophageal, or liver cancer.