Maven Clinic, a virtual women’s and family health provider, is teaming up with health tech company Color Health to support family building after a cancer diagnosis.
The partnership’s goal is to expand access to oncofertility care, helping patients of childbearing age going through the cancer journey to understand and preserve their fertility options. Members will receive access to oncologists, dietitians, mental health providers, fertility preservation specialists and care advocates. The services will be available to cancer patients through employers and payers to start.
“Both of us have seen the attention being paid by employers to what it really looks like for their team members going through a cancer diagnosis, because it’s happening at such a rapid clip now,” Caroline Savello, president at Color, told Fierce Healthcare. A quarter of Color patients are between the ages of 18 and 45.
Cancer rates in adolescents and young adults are rising, with nearly 90,000 diagnosed annually. Yet half are never counseled on fertility preservation before early-onset cancer treatment, one 2024 study found. Treatments like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery can have a significant impact on fertility, one that can be permanent. Fertility considerations can also impact cancer care timing.
Even if patients are advised, Savello said, this conversation typically happens in the very first oncology visit, when patients need to make split-second decisions. Affordability and wait times are also major factors in access. Although 21 states and Washington, D.C., have fertility preservation mandates for coverage, estimates suggest over 3.6 million reproductive-age women—mostly in states without such protections—lack geographic access to oncofertility services.
“Can people actually take action on that conversation?” Savello noted. “I think this is where the system falls down.”
Young adults have many special considerations when going through this journey, from financial stressors to time-sensitive fertility decisions. They may not have as many savings, might not have the best health plan or might need to put their career on hold for a few years, Savello explained.
Color’s virtual services include an oncologist-led care team, screening and cancer diagnosis management. For any in-person care or diagnostics, Color refers to in-network providers and handles follow-ups.
Meanwhile, Maven has its own network of providers on the platform, including dozens with expertise in oncofertility. Maven also has a curated network of fertility clinics and can refer members to in-person care when needed, helping coordinate care across providers and settings. Members may be recommended egg freezing, embryo freezing, sperm freezing or ovarian tissue cryopreservation.
“Both of us have these zones of expertise that is really important, powerful and I think extremely hard to find for unfortunately most patients in this country who are dealing with an earlier onset cancer,” Savello said.
Maven uses a validated social needs screener to assess members, and offers care advocates trained in benefits navigation and community resource mapping. For oncofertility patients, social needs can escalate quickly, like arranging last-minute transportation and childcare.
Maven has also received positive feedback about providers who can support beyond an initial diagnosis and fertility treatment. For instance, there was a member who had breast cancer, froze embryos, ultimately had a baby and used a Maven lactation consultant postpartum who had expertise in the unique challenges of breast cancer and feeding, a spokesperson said.
“As cancer survival rates continue to improve, quality of life after treatment matters more than ever,” Kate Ryder, founder and CEO at Maven Clinic, said in an announcement. “Fertility is a deeply personal and often time-sensitive concern for patients facing a cancer diagnosis. This partnership with Color Health helps ensure that fertility preservation is not an afterthought, but a standard, supported part of cancer care.”
Color has its own electronic health record and will be sharing clinical notes with Maven providers, with patients’ consent. Color also has peer specialists who will coordinate with on-site providers. Like Maven, Color helps its patients address logistical and financial barriers, including estimating and guiding them through the cost of care.
“This isn’t like a warm hand-off-type of relationship,” Savello said. “We look at this as really an integrated care team model for this small percentage of patients that need incredible high-touch, complex care.”