Tranby EP, Heaton LJ, Tomar SL, Kelly AL, Fager GL, Backley M, Frantsve-Hawley J. Oral Cancer Prevalence, Mortality, and Costs in Medicaid and Commercial Insurance Claims Data.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;
31:1849-1857. [PMID:
35732291 PMCID:
PMC9437560 DOI:
10.1158/1055-9965.epi-22-0114]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
This study compared prevalence, incidence, mortality rates, treatment costs, and risk factors for oral and oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC) between two large United States adult cohorts in 2012-2019.
METHODS
Medicaid and commercial claims data came from the IBM Watson Health MarketScan Database. Logistic regression analyses estimated incidence and risk factors for OC/OPC. Mortality was calculated by merging deceased individuals' files with those of the existing cancer cohort. Summing costs of outpatient and inpatient services determined costs.
RESULTS
Prevalence of OC/OPC in Medicaid enrollees decreased each year (129.8 cases per 100,000 enrollees in 2012 to 88.5 in 2019); commercial enrollees showed a lower, more stable prevalence (64.7 per 100,000 in 2012 and 2019). Incidence trended downward in both cohorts, with higher incidence in the Medicaid (51.4-37.6 cases per 100,000) than the commercial cohort (31.9-31.0 per 100,000). Mortality rates decreased for Medicaid enrollees during 2012-2014 but increased in the commercial cohort. OC/OPC treatment costs were higher for commercial enrollees by $8.6 million during 2016-2019. OC/OPC incidence was higher among adults who were older, male, and white; used tobacco or alcohol; or had prior human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome diagnosis and lower among those who had seen a dentist the prior year.
CONCLUSIONS
Medicaid enrollees experienced higher OC/OPC incidence, prevalence, and mortality compared with commercially insured adults. Having seen a dentist within the prior year was associated with a lower risk of OC/OPC diagnosis.
IMPACT
Expanding Medicaid dental benefits may allow OC/OPC to be diagnosed at earlier stages through regular dental visits.
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