Medicaid Expansion: The Boon Extends to Stage at Breast Cancer Diagnosis

In states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, rates of advanced breast cancer diagnoses declined most — particularly among Black women.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into full effect in early 2014. As of 2018, 37 states (including the District of Columbia) had adopted Medicaid expansion under the ACA and 14 had not, providing an opportunity to evaluate healthcare access as a function of insurance coverage among low-income individuals. Investigators used a national cancer database to examine the association between Medicaid expansion and breast cancer (BC) stage at diagnosis, particularly in relation to race/ethnicity. Stage at diagnosis (early [stage 0 or 1] vs. late [stage 3 or 4]) was assessed by state and insurance status for pre-expansion years (2012–2013) compared with postexpansion years (2015–2016).

In expansion states between 2012 and 2016, the proportion of wom…

Reviewing Author

Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportMerck, Mithra, Medicines360

Editorial BoardsContraception; Menopause; Contraceptive Technology Update; OBG Management; Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health

Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportMerck, Mithra, Medicines360

Editorial BoardsContraception; Menopause; Contraceptive Technology Update; OBG Management; Medscape OB/GYN & Women’s Health

Medicaid Expansion: The Boon Extends to Stage at Breast Cancer Diagnosis

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Reviewing Author