Analysis of data available within a national hospital-based registry showed that the diagnosis of stage I disease increased for female breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer following implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Analysis of data available within the National Cancer Data Base, a national hospital-based registry, showed that the diagnosis of stage I disease increased for female breast cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC), and lung cancer following implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While early diagnosis of cervical cancer was not statistically significant, diagnosis of stage I prostate cancer saw a drop. The results are scheduled to be presented at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
Inadequate insurance and education have previously been identified as significant determinants of increased screening rates. A 2015 study, published in The American Journal of Managed Care®, found that individuals from lower socioeconomic or uninsured groups are least likely to use preventive screening.
The current study was designed by researchers from the American Cancer Society to identify changes in stage at diagnosis following ACA implementation. The study cohort included nonelderly patients of screening-appropriate age who were diagnosed between 2013 and 2014. The prevalence of of stage I disease was calculated for 5 cancer types, before (2013 Q1 to Q3) and after (2014 Q2 to Q4) the ACA.
Disease-specific distribution was as follows:
The analysis found a statistically significant increase in stage I disease for female breast cancer (47.8% vs 48.9%; prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), CRC (22.8% vs 23.7%; PR = 1.04; 95% CI, 1-1.08), and lung cancer (16.6% vs 17.7%; PR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11) in 2014. While cervical cancer saw a nonsignificant shift to stage I disease, (47.2% vs 48.7%; PR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.98-1.06), the percentage of stage I disease diagnosis for prostate cancer decreased (18.5% vs 17.2%; PR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.9-0.96) in 2014.
Xuesong Han, PhD, a study co-author, explained during a press cast hosted by ASCO, that the recommendation by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) regarding routine prostate cancer screening might have influenced the observed drop in screening rates. USPSTF’s Grade D recommendation for a routine prostate-specific antigen—based screening for prostate cancer has previously been blamed for a reduction in intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer diagnoses.
During the press cast, Han shared detailed analyses based on Medicaid expansion status in US states and concluded that the shift to early stage diagnosis for CRC and lung cancer were mainly seen in Medicaid-expansion states, while the shift observed for female breast cancer was independent of the states’ Medicaid expansion.
Dr Kathy Zackowski Discusses the Importance of Rehabilitation Research and Trials in MS
April 26th 2024Kathy Zackowski, PhD, National MS Society, expresses the inherent value of quality rehabilitation trials for broadening clinical understandings of multiple sclerosis (MS) and bettering patient outcomes.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Kaiser Permanente was hit by a data breach in mid-April, impacting 13.4 million health plan members; GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) sued Pfizer and BioNTech for allegedly infringing on its messenger RNA technology patents in the companies’ COVID-19 vaccines; the CDC announced the first-known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections.
Read More