Studies from Massachusetts General Hospital Yield New Data on Cancer (Health Insurance Navigation Tools Intervention: a Pilot Trial Within the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study): Cancer

2024 AUG 19 (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 from Boston, Massachusetts, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for underinsurance and health insurance-related financial burden. Interventions targeting health insurance literacy (HIL) to improve the ability to understand and use health insurance are needed.”

Funders for this research include American Cancer Society, NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cancer Center Support (CORE) grant, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC).

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Massachusetts General Hospital, “We codeveloped a four-session health insurance navigation tools (HINT) intervention, delivered synchronously by a patient navigator, and a corresponding booklet. We conducted a randomized pilot trial with survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study comparing HINT with enhanced usual care (EUC; booklet). We assessed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy (HIL, primary outcome; knowledge and confidence with health insurance terms and activity) on a 5-month survey and exit interviews. Among 231 invited, 82 (32.5%) survivors enrolled (53.7% female; median age 39 years, 75.6% had employer-sponsored insurance). Baseline HIL scores were low (mean = 28.5; 16-64; lower scores better); many lacked knowledge of Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions. 80.5% completed four HINT sessions, and 93.9% completed the follow-up survey. Participants rated HINT’s helpfulness a mean of 8.9 (0-10). Exit interviews confirmed HINT’s acceptability, specifically its virtual and personalized delivery and helpfulness in building confidence in understanding one’s coverage. Compared with EUC, HINT significantly improved HIL (effect size = 0.94. P< .001), ACA provisions knowledge (effect size = 0.73, P = .003), psychological financial hardship (effect size = 0.64, P< .006), and health insurance satisfaction (effect size = 0.55, P = .03). Results support the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual health insurance navigation program targeted for childhood survivors to improve HIL.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Randomized trials to assess the efficacy and sustainability of health insurance navigation on HIL and financial burden are needed.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Health Insurance Navigation Tools Intervention: a Pilot Trial Within the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. JCO Oncology Practice, 2024;20(7). JCO Oncology Practice can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Elyse R. Park, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States. Additional authors for this research include Karen Donelan, Giselle K. Perez, Cayley C. Bliss, Allyson Foor, Natalie Durieux, Colin Ponzani, Ana Lopez, Karen A. Kuhlthau, Anne C. Kirchhoff, Karely M. van Thiel Berghuijs, Austin R. Waters, Perla L. Vaca Lopez, Aaron McDonald, Gregory T. Armstrong, Wendy Leisenring, Tracy Battaglia and Alison A. Galbraith.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1200/OP.23.00680. 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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