Investigators at University of Alabama Birmingham Report Findings in Cancer (“it’s Just Not Easy To Understand”a Mixed Methods Study of Health Insurance Literacy and Insurance Plan Decision-making In Cancer Survivors): Cancer

2023 JUL 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on Cancer have been published. According to news reporting out of Birmingham, Alabama, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Understanding cancer survivors’ health insurance decision-making is needed to improve insurance choice, potentially resulting in reduced financial hardship. This explanatory mixed methods study assessed health insurance decision-making in cancer survivors.”

Funders for this research include NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences Collaborative Research Award for Fellows in Training (CRAFT).

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Alabama Birmingham, “Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM) captured HIL. Quantitative eye-tracking data collected from two simulated health insurance plan choice sets gauged dwell time (seconds), or interest, in benefits. Dwell time differences by HIL were estimated using adjusted linear models. Qualitative interviews explored survivors’ insurance decision-making choices. Cancer survivors (N = 80; 38% breast cancer) had a median age of 43 at diagnosis (IQR 34-52). When comparing traditional and high-deductible health plans, survivors were most interested in drug costs (median dwell time 58 s, IQR 34-109). When comparing health maintenance organization and preferred provider organization plans, survivors were most interested in test/imaging costs (40s, IQR 14-67). Survivors with low versus high HIL had more interest in deductible (beta = 19 s, 95% CI 2-38) and hospitalization costs (beta = 14 s, 95% CI 1-27) in adjusted models. Survivors with low versus high HIL more often ranked out-of-pocket (OOP) maximums and coinsurance as the most important and confusing benefits, respectively. Interviews (n = 20) revealed survivors felt alone ‘to do their own research’ about insurance choices.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “OOP maximums were cited as the deciding factor since it is ‘how much money is going to be taken out of my pocket.’ Coinsurance was considered ‘rather than a benefit, it’s a hindrance.’ Conclusion: Interventions to aid in health insurance understanding and choice are needed to optimize plan choice and potentially reduce cancer-related financial hardship.”

For more information on this research see: “it’s Just Not Easy To Understand”a Mixed Methods Study of Health Insurance Literacy and Insurance Plan Decision-making In Cancer Survivors. Cancer Medicine, 2023. Cancer Medicine can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Cancer Medicine - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2045-7634)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Courtney P. Williams, University of Alabama Birmingham, Divison Prevent Med, Birmingham, AL, United States. Additional authors for this research include Maria Pisu, Heather N. Platter, Amy J. Davidoff, Robin C. Vanderpool and Janet S. de Moor.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6133. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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