Products / Cost Containment & Care Navigation
SurgeryPlus
Public factsSurgical centers of excellence
Employer surgical Centers of Excellence benefit, now branded Lantern, with Care Advocates, a vetted surgeon network, and travel support for planned procedures.
Overview
Surgeryplus.com now presents Lantern, formerly SurgeryPlus. Lantern is an employer-offered benefit for planned, non-emergency surgery (and, depending on the plan, cancer and/or infusion therapy). Members call a Care Advocate, get matched to vetted network surgeons, and receive scheduling, records, and question support. The site says many members can have surgery at no out-of-pocket cost depending on the plan; most members are less than an hour from a provider; and Lantern members have a less than 1% complication rate versus a national average of 8–15%. Covered example procedures include joint replacements, bariatric surgeries, tonsillectomies, and colonoscopies. Travel benefits may include gas and meal stipends, companion travel, and Care Advocate–booked hotels when the employer plan includes them.
Why it matters The SurgeryPlus brand still appears in many plan documents, but the live site is Lantern—brokers need the current name, the Care Advocate model, and the plan-dependent $0-cost caveat.
- Target buyer
- Employers and unions that want a supplemental COE surgery benefit (and optional cancer/infusion) rather than full medical navigation.
- Pricing model
- Not published; employer supplemental benefit, quote-based
- surgeryplus.com / Lantern does not list employer PEPM or bundle rates. Member savings ‘depend on the procedure and your employer’s plan.’ Footnotes say actual savings vary and travel benefits vary by plan.
- Availability
- National
- Research
- Last researched 2026-08-23
- Agent-strong category
Key features
- Care Advocate–led journey for planned, non-emergency surgery
- Individually vetted surgeon network (complication rates, volume, training, non-surgical alternatives, prep and recovery)
- Potential $0 or reduced member cost depending on employer plan design
- Local access: most members drive less than one hour (vendor)
- Optional travel support when the plan includes it
- Example procedures: joints, bariatric, tonsillectomy, colonoscopy, and thousands of other planned procedures
- Depending on plan: cancer and/or infusion therapy support
- Member portal and phone line (855) 200-2099 listed on the site
Integrations
- Employer medical plan and plan-specific cost share
- Medical-records transfer coordinated by the Care Advocate
Overview
The official SurgeryPlus URL now loads a Lantern member site titled “Formerly known as SurgeryPlus.” Lantern describes itself as making it easy to get excellent surgery care and save money. Access is through the employer. Depending on the plan, members may also have support for cancer and/or infusion therapy.
The stated process: call a Care Advocate; the advocate explains the benefit and savings; the member is matched to surgeons in Lantern’s network; after the member chooses, the advocate helps schedule, request records, and answer questions. The advocate also reaches out during the process.
Vendor-reported quality: Lantern members have a less than 1% complication rate, compared with a national average of 8–15%, with a footnote pointing to observed book-of-business performance and a PubMed article. Access: most members are less than an hour’s drive from their provider; “no matter where you are in the U.S., there are surgeons in Lantern’s network within driving distance.” Cost: many members can get surgeries for free with their benefits; others see significant savings; actual savings vary by coverage, medical plan, and procedure.
Example covered planned procedures: joint replacements, bariatric surgeries, tonsillectomies, colonoscopies, “and more,” plus “thousands of planned, non-emergency procedures.”
Key Capabilities
- Care Advocate matching, education, scheduling, records, and check-ins.
- Surgeon vetting beyond ratings: low complication rates, experience and specialized training, how often surgeons find options that avoid surgery, procedure volume, and prep/recovery support. The site says it is common to match a surgeon ranked #1 in the state or country for the procedure.
- Plan-dependent member cost relief, including $0 out of pocket in some testimonials (not a universal guarantee).
- Travel benefits when included: gas stipends, meal stipends, companion travel, hotel stays booked by the Care Advocate.
- Optional adjacent journeys: cancer and/or infusion, if the employer bought them.
- Member portal login and phone (855) 200-2099.
Integrations & Ecosystem
The program sits on top of the employer’s medical plan. Care Advocates transfer medical records. No TPA or carrier integration list is published on the captured page. Travel and cost share are explicitly plan-specific.
Pricing
Employer pricing is not published. Member cost is a function of employer plan design. Footnotes warn that savings and travel benefits vary.
Notes & Limitations
- The live product brand is Lantern; “SurgeryPlus” is the former name on the same domain.
- Complication-rate comparison uses vendor book-of-business plus a cited national-average range; not independently audited here.
- $0 out-of-pocket stories are plan- and procedure-specific.
- “National” follows U.S.-wide network language; a public facility directory was not on the captured page.
- Company legal name, ownership, and employer-sales site details were not on this member-facing page.
Sources
Tags: SurgeryPlus · Lantern · centers of excellence · surgery · Care Advocate · bundled surgery