New Findings from Case Western Reserve University in the Area of Cancer Described (The Effect of Medicaid Expansion Among Adults From Low-income Communities On Stage At Diagnosis In Those With Screening-amenable Cancers)

2020 JUL 29 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Current study results on Cancer have been published. According to news reporting originating in Cleveland, Ohio, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Several states have opted to expand Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which offers insurance coverage to low-income individuals up to 138% of the federal poverty level. This expansion of Medicaid to a medically vulnerable population potentially can reduce cancer outcome disparities, especially among patients with screening-amenable cancers.”

Funders for this research include National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Cleveland (National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences), Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation, Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods at Case Western Reserve University from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (National Cancer Institute), Case Western Reserve University Center for Reducing Health Disparities, Case Western Reserve University Center for Community Health Integration, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, National Program of Cancer Registries at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Case Western Reserve University, “The objective of the current study was to estimate the effect of Medicaid expansion on the percentage of adults from low-income communities with screening-amenable cancers who present with metastatic disease. Using state cancer registry data linked with block group-level income data, a total of 12,760 individuals aged 30 to 64 years who were diagnosed with incident invasive breast (female), cervical, colorectal, or lung cancer from 2011 through 2016 and who were uninsured or had Medicaid insurance at the time of diagnosis were identified. This sample was probability weighted based on income to reflect potential Medicaid eligibility under the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. A multivariable logistic model then was fitted to examine the independent association between the exposure (pre-expansion [years 2011-2013] vs postexpansion [years 2014-2016]) and the outcome (metastatic vs nonmetastatic disease at the time of diagnosis). After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals who were diagnosed postexpansion were found to have 15% lower odds of having metastatic disease compared with those who were diagnosed pre-expansion (adjusted odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.93). As a control, a separate analysis that focused on individuals with private insurance who resided in high-income communities found nonsignificant postexpansion (vs pre-expansion) changes in the outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.09).”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Medicaid expansion is associated with a narrowing of a critical cancer outcome disparity in adults from low-income communities.”

For more information on this research see: The Effect of Medicaid Expansion Among Adults From Low-income Communities On Stage At Diagnosis In Those With Screening-amenable Cancers. Cancer, 2020;():. Cancer can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Cancer - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0142)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Uriel Kim, Case Western Reserve University, Ctr Community Hlth Integrat, School of Medicine, 11000 Cedar Ave, Ste 402, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States. Additional authors for this research include Johnie Rose, Shan Koroukian and Abby Statler.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32895. 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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