Health Reform, Medicaid Expansions, and Women's Cancer Screening

Estimating the impact of increasing cervical cancer screening in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program among low-income women in the USA

PURPOSE

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides free cervical cancer screening to low-income women. This study estimated the health benefits gained in terms of life years (LYs) saved and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained if cervical cancer screening by the NBCCEDP increased to reach more eligible women.

METHODS

Data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results, NBCCEDP, and Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys were used. LYs saved and QALYs gained/100,000 women were estimated using modeling methods. They were used to predict additional health benefits gained if screening by the NBCCEDP increased from 6.5% up to 10-25% of the eligible women.

RESULTS

Overall, per 100,000 women screened by the NBCCEDP, 1,731 LYs were saved and 1,608 QALYs were gained. For white women, 1,926 LYs were saved and 1,780 QALYs were gained/100,000 women screened by the NBCCEDP. For black women, 1,506 LYs were saved and 1,300 QALYs were gained/100,000 women screened. If the proportion of eligible women screened by the NBCCEDP increased to 10-25%, the estimated health benefits would range from 6,626-34,896 LYs saved and 6,153-32,407 QALYs gained.

CONCLUSIONS

The reported estimates emphasize the value of cervical cancer screening program by extending LE in low-income women. Further, it demonstrates that screening a higher percentage of eligible women in the NBCCEDP may yield more health benefits.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program: Increasing Access to Screening

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women across the nation. Although the program has provided services to more than 5 million women since 1991, there remains a significant burden of breast and cervical cancer with inequities among certain populations. To reduce this burden and improve health equity, the NBCCEDP is expanding its scope to include population-based strategies to increase screening in health systems and communities through the implementation of patient and provider evidence-based interventions, connecting women in communities to clinical services, increasing opportunities to access screening, and enhancing the targeting of women in need of services. The goal is to reach more women and make sure women are getting the right screening test at the right time.

The eligibility and reach of the national breast and cervical cancer early detection program after implementation of the affordable care act

INTRODUCTION

The uninsured rate declined following passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. It is unclear how this decrease affected the size of the population eligible for existing safety net programs. We evaluated trends in the number of women eligible for breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services under the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) and the reach of the program.

METHODS

Using the Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates data, we calculated the number of women who met the NBCCEDP eligibility criteria based on age, income, and insurance status. We used these data in conjunction with program to estimate the proportion of eligible women served by the NBCCEDP.

RESULTS

The number of women eligible for breast cancer screening and diagnostic services under the program declined from 5.4 (90% CI 5.2-5.6) to 2.8 (90% CI 2.6-3.0) million from 2011 to 2017. The number of women eligible for cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services declined from 10.3 (90% CI 10.0-10.6) to 5.3 (90% CI 5.1-5.6) million. The share of eligible women served by the program was 15.0% (90% CI 14.8-15.1%) for breast services in 2016-2017 and 6.8% (90% CI 6.7-6.8%) for cervical services in 2015-2017.

CONCLUSION

Insurance coverage expansions may have contributed to a decrease in the number of program-eligible women. There are many more women eligible for the program than are served.

Impact of Implementing B-RSTTM to Screen for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer on Risk Perception and Genetic Counseling Uptake Among Women in an Academic Safety Net Hospital

BACKGROUND

Lower socioeconomic status is strongly associated with decreased perception of cancer risk. Fewer low socioeconomic status women than expected currently access cancer genetic services from which they may benefit.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We screened women presenting for a screening mammogram at a safety net academic hospital using the Breast Cancer Genetics Referral Screening Tool Version 3.0 (B-RST^TM), an online tool designed to identify individuals potentially at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Participants screening either positive (high risk) or negative (moderate risk) were offered genetic counseling appointments. We used a brief survey to evaluate change in risk perception before and after using B-RST^TM, and after a genetic counseling appointment, if applicable. Barriers to accepting appointments were assessed when participants declined.

RESULTS

Of the 126 participants, 91 (72.2%) screened negative-average risk, 13 (10.3%) screened negative-moderate risk, and 22 (17.5%) screened positive. Of those who screened positive or negative-moderate, 24 (68.6%) expressed interested in a genetic counseling appointment, of which 19 (79.2%) scheduled. Four of the 19 scheduled (21.1%) completed the appointment. We found a significant difference in the number who rated their breast cancer risk correctly on the post-test between the groups who self-rated as low, moderate, or high risk. Those who perceived themselves as high risk were the most likely to rate their risk correctly on the post-test (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

We showed that using B-RST^TM in a safety net academic hospital was effective at identifying women at increased risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Racial and economic disparities in the access to treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms are persistent problems

Background and purpose

Previous studies have documented disparate access to cerebrovascular neurosurgery for patients of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. We further investigated the effect of race and insurance status on access to treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) and compared it with data on patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).

Methods

Through the use of a national database, admissions for clipping or coiling of an UIA and for aSAH were identified. Demographic characteristics of patients were characterized according to age, sex, race/ethnicity, and insurance status, and comparisons between patients admitted for treatment of an UIA versus aSAH were performed.

Results

There were 10 545 admissions for clipping or coiling of an UIA and 33 166 admissions for aSAH between October 2014 and July 2018. White/non-Hispanic patients made up a greater proportion of patients presenting for treatment of an UIA than those presenting with aSAH (64.3% vs 48.2%; P<0.001), whereas black/Hispanic patients presented more frequently with aSAH than for treatment of an UIA (29.3% vs 26.1%; P=0.006). On multivariate linear regression analysis, the proportion of patients admitted for management of an UIA relative to those admitted for aSAH increased with the proportion of patients who were women (P<0.001) and decreased with the proportion of patients with a black/Hispanic background (P=0.010) and those insured with Medicaid or without insurance (P=0.003).

Conclusion

For patients with UIAs, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds appear to continue to influence access to treatment.

Financial toxicity in cancer care: Prevalence, causes, consequences, and reduction strategies

Financial toxicity is the adverse impact of a cancer diagnosis on a patient's financial well-being resulting from direct or indirect costs. Potential consequences of financial toxicity include material loss, psychological distress, and/or maladaptive coping strategies. This review will summarize the prevalence, causes, and consequences of financial toxicity, with an emphasis on strategies to anticipate and reduce its burden. Improvement will require multilevel, coordinated efforts between stakeholders including patients, providers, health systems, payers, manufacturers, and policymakers.

Breast Cancer Disparities Among Women in Underserved Communities in the USA

Purpose of Review

Breast cancer disparities that exist between high-income countries (HIC) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are also reflected within population subgroups throughout the United States (US). Here we examine three case studies of US populations "left behind" in breast cancer outcomes/equity.

Recent Findings

African Americans in Chicago, non-Latina White women in Appalachia, and Latinas in the Yakima Valley of Washington State all experience a myriad of factors that contribute to lower rates of breast cancer detection and appropriate treatment as well as poorer survival. These factors, related to the social determinants of health, including geographic isolation, lack of availability of care, and personal constraints, can be addressed with interventions at multiple levels.

Summary

Although HICs have reduced mortality of breast cancer compared to LMICs, there remain inequities in the US healthcare system. Concerted efforts are needed to ensure that all women have access to equitable screening, detection, treatment, and survivorship resources.

The ACA and Cancer Screening and Diagnosis

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) included multiple provisions expected to increase cancer screening and subsequently early diagnosis of cancer. Key provisions included new coverage options for low-income adults and young adults, as well as elimination of cost sharing for recommended preventive services across most health insurance plans. This article reviews relevant quantitative studies published since the ACA's passage to assess whether the goal of increasing access to preventive services has been met. Because of lags in data availability, most studies examined only a short period post-ACA. Findings on changes in screening in the general population were mixed, although impacts were greatest among those with lower education and income, as well as groups that previously faced the highest cost barriers to screening. Furthermore, multiple studies found evidence of increases in early-stage diagnoses for certain cancers. Thus, certain targeted populations appear to have better access to cancer screening after the ACA.

The financial burden and distress of patients with cancer: Understanding and stepping-up action on the financial toxicity of cancer treatment

"Financial toxicity" has now become a familiar term used in the discussion of cancer drugs, and it is gaining traction in the literature given the high price of newer classes of therapies. However, as a phenomenon in the contemporary treatment and care of people with cancer, financial toxicity is not fully understood, with the discussion on mitigation mainly geared toward interventions at the health system level. Although important, health policy prescriptions take time before their intended results manifest, if they are implemented at all. They require corresponding strategies at the individual patient level. In this review, the authors discuss the nature of financial toxicity, defined as the objective financial burden and subjective financial distress of patients with cancer, as a result of treatments using innovative drugs and concomitant health services. They discuss coping with financial toxicity by patients and how maladaptive coping leads to poor health and nonhealth outcomes. They cover management strategies for oncologists, including having the difficult and urgent conversation about the cost and value of cancer treatment, availability of and access to resources, and assessment of financial toxicity as part of supportive care in the provision of comprehensive cancer care. CA Cancer J Clin 2018;68:153-165. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Effect of Medicaid Expansions of 2014 on Overall and Early-Stage Cancer Diagnoses

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether the 2014 Medicaid expansions facilitated by the Affordable Care Act affected overall and early-stage cancer diagnosis for nonelderly adults.

METHODS

We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Cancer Registry data from 2010 through 2014 to estimate a difference-in-differences model of cancer diagnosis rates, both overall and by stage, comparing changes in county-level diagnosis rates in US states that expanded Medicaid in 2014 with those that did not expand Medicaid.

RESULTS

Among the 611 counties in this study, Medicaid expansion was associated with an increase in overall cancer diagnoses of 13.8 per 100 000 population (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.7, 26.9), or 3.4%. Medicaid expansion was also associated with an increase in early-stage diagnoses of 15.4 per 100 000 population (95% CI = 5.4, 25.3), or 6.4%. There was no detectable impact on late-stage diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

In their first year, the 2014 Medicaid expansions were associated with an increase in cancer diagnosis, particularly at the early stage, in the working-age population. Public Health Implications. Expanding public health insurance may be an avenue for improving cancer detection, which is associated with improved patient outcomes, including reduced mortality.

Value Analysis of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis for Breast Cancer Screening in a US Medicaid Population

PURPOSE

Better understanding regarding the clinical-economic value of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) for breast cancer screening for Medicaid enrollees is needed to help inform sound, value-based decision making. The objective of this study was to conduct a clinical-economic value analysis of DBT for breast cancer screening among women enrolled in Medicaid to assess the potential clinical benefits, associated expenditures, and net budget impact of DBT.

METHODS

Two annual screening mammography scenarios were evaluated with an economic model: (1) full-field digital mammography and (2) combined full-field digital mammography and DBT. The model focused on two main drivers of DBT value: (1) capacity for DBT to reduce the number of women recalled for additional follow-up imaging and diagnostic services and (2) capacity of DBT to facilitate earlier diagnosis of cancer at earlier stages, when treatment costs are lower.

RESULTS

Model analysis results showed that the use of DBT as a mammographic screening modality by Medicaid enrollees potentially reduces the need for follow-up diagnostic services and improves the detection of invasive cancers, allowing earlier, less costly treatment. With the modest incremental reimbursement of $37 for DBT expected for a typical Medicaid claim, annual cost savings from DBT predicted by the model amounts to $8.14 per patient, potentially translating into more than $12,000 savings per year for an average-sized Medicaid plan and as much as $207,000 savings per year for a typical state Medicaid program.

CONCLUSIONS

Wider adoption of DBT presents an opportunity to deliver value-based care to Medicaid programs and to help address disparities and barriers to accessing preventive care by some of the nation's most vulnerable citizens.