Medicaid expansion linked to lower uninsured rates
New research led by American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers finds that after full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the percent of uninsured decreased substantially in Medicaid expansion states among the most vulnerable patients: low-income nonelderly adults with newly diagnosed cancer. Meanwhile the number of uninsured remained persistently high in nonexpansion states. The study, appearing in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, also reports a small but statistically significant shift toward earlier diagnosis (stage 1 disease) for some common cancers in patients residing in expansion states. The authors say the findings could inform ongoing health care reform and reinforces the continued need for additional expansion of access to care, especially for low-income populations.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) permitted states to expand Medicaid coverage to a broad group of low-income people. As of Jan. 1, 2014, 24 states and the District of Columbia had opted to expand the coverage. While Medicaid expansion has been associated with declines in the percent of uninsured and with improved access to care in the general population, little is known about how it affected insurance coverage and stage at diagnosis among patients with newly diagnosed cancer.