Researchers at University of Wisconsin Have Reported New Data on Lung Cancer (The Impact of Medicare Health Insurance Coverage On Lung Cancer Screening): Oncology – Lung Cancer

Health Policy and Law Daily

2021 DEC 30 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Fresh data on Oncology - Lung Cancer are presented in a new report. According to news reporting from Madison, Wisconsin, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Annual lung cancer screening via low-dose computed tomography can reduce lung cancer mortality among high-risk adults by 20%; however, screening take-up remains low. Inadequate insurance coverage or access to care may be a barrier to screening.”

Financial supporters for this research include Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA, NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI), University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center Support Grant, Population Health Share Resources, University of Colorado Cancer Center Core Support Grant.

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Wisconsin, “The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of nearly universal access to Medicare coverage on annual lung cancer screening. A regression discontinuity design was used to estimate the causal effect of nearly universal access to Medicare at age 65. Data come from the 2017 to 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 28 states that adopted the optional module on lung cancer screening and lung cancer risk. A total of 11,163 individuals at high risk for lung cancer just above and below age 65. Self-reported use of low-dose computed tomography to screen for lung cancer in the past 12 months. A total of 10,951 people at high lung cancer risk (45.7% women, response rate=98.1%) reported lung cancer screening information. Nearly universal access to Medicare increased lung cancer screening by 16.2 percentage points among men (95% confidence interval: 2.4%-30.0%, P=0.02), compared with a baseline screening rate of 11.1% just younger than age 65. Women had a baseline screening rate of 18.2% and experienced no statistically significant change in screening (1.6 percentage point increase, 95% confidence interval: -19.8% to 23.0%, P=0.88). Gaining Medicare coverage at age 65 increased lung cancer screening take-up among men at high lung cancer risk.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Lack of insurance or inadequate access to care hinders screening.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: The Impact of Medicare Health Insurance Coverage On Lung Cancer Screening. Medical Care, 2022;60(1):29-36. Medical Care can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins - www.lww.com; Medical Care - http://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/pages/default.aspx)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Rebecca Myerson, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Dept. of Population Health Sciences, 610 Walnut St, 701 Warf, Madison, WI 53726, United States. Additional authors for this research include Jiren Sun and Marcelo Coca Perraillon.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000001655. 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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