States that fully expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act cut their rates of uninsured cancer patients by more than half between 2011 and 2014. Black patients and those living in the highest poverty areas saw the greatest benefit from Medicaid expansion, according to a Duke Cancer Institute analysis.
Rates of uninsured cancer patients in states without Medicaid expansion also declined, but in these states, improvements appeared to primarily benefit white patients and residents of low-poverty areas, with a portion transitioning to non-Medicaid health insurance.
Merging With Medicaid Programs Does Not Lead to Cutbacks in Public Funding
Researchers said that merging with larger Medicaid programs does not mean that state public health departments have to lose funding.
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‘Medicaid expansion was effective at decreasing disparities and improving access to care for cancer patients receiving radiation, but some disparities still exist.’
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There were no improvements in uninsured rates for black patients and residents of high-poverty areas in states without Medicaid expansion. In fact, patients in these groups appeared to be losing insurance coverage, although this finding was not statistically significant, according to lead study author Fumiko Chino, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Duke.
The data presented as part of the press program at an annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in San Diego. The analysis is based on the records of more than 197,000 people ages 18 to 64 in a National Cancer Institute database who received radiation for a cancer diagnosis between 2011 and 2014.
![Beneficiaries of Medicaid Programs Not Getting Preventive Care]( "Beneficiaries of Medicaid Programs Not Getting Preventive Care")
Researchers have found that existing state Medicaid beneficiaries are unable to avail preventive services that can help them reduce their risk of cancer, heart disease and other such diseases.
"The debate over health care reform is ongoing," Chino said. "Our findings indicate that Medicaid expansion was effective at decreasing disparities and improving access to care for cancer patients receiving radiation, but some disparities still exist. In states without Medicaid expansion, the rates of uninsured patients went down, but those who benefited were white patients living in higher-income areas, for whom it might have been possible to purchase plans through the health care exchange." According to the study data, states with expanded Medicaid programs cut the rate of uninsured cancer patients receiving radiation from 4.4 percent to 2.1 percent. At the same time, the proportion of Medicaid recipients rose from 15.2 to 18 percent. Inversely, in states without Medicaid expansion, Medicaid enrollment dropped from 15.9 to 14.9 percent for cancer patients receiving radiation, while the portion of these patients having non-Medicaid insurance coverage grew from 75.7 to 77.1 percent. "This study is part of a developing body of research to quantify healthcare delivery changes under the ACA," Chino said. "We now are assessing if these insurance changes translate to differences in patient survival."
Source: Eurekalert
Beneficiaries of Medicaid Programs Not Getting Preventive Care
Researchers have found that existing state Medicaid beneficiaries are unable to avail preventive services that can help them reduce their risk of cancer, heart disease and other such diseases.
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"The debate over health care reform is ongoing," Chino said. "Our findings indicate that Medicaid expansion was effective at decreasing disparities and improving access to care for cancer patients receiving radiation, but some disparities still exist. In states without Medicaid expansion, the rates of uninsured patients went down, but those who benefited were white patients living in higher-income areas, for whom it might have been possible to purchase plans through the health care exchange." According to the study data, states with expanded Medicaid programs cut the rate of uninsured cancer patients receiving radiation from 4.4 percent to 2.1 percent. At the same time, the proportion of Medicaid recipients rose from 15.2 to 18 percent. Inversely, in states without Medicaid expansion, Medicaid enrollment dropped from 15.9 to 14.9 percent for cancer patients receiving radiation, while the portion of these patients having non-Medicaid insurance coverage grew from 75.7 to 77.1 percent. "This study is part of a developing body of research to quantify healthcare delivery changes under the ACA," Chino said. "We now are assessing if these insurance changes translate to differences in patient survival."
Source: Eurekalert
Xerox Corporation to Revamp Healthcare IT Business, Records Related Impairment Charge
Xerox Corp, which has been shifting its focus to IT services will be highly selective in responding to new Medicaid Management Information System opportunities.
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 New Targeted Cancer Therapy IdentifiedModern cancer therapy aims to develop drugs which can target the altered tumor cells in every patient, without affecting the healthy cells. | Advertisement
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