Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions
ACA’s Impact on Use of Cancer Preventive Services
Cancer; ePub 2017 Jan 9; Cooper, Kou, Dor, et al
Removing out-of-pocket expenditures may lead to increased use of certain cancer preventive services, according to a study involving elderly men and women. However, for colonoscopy, other deterrents may play a role.
Female participants had not had a mammography in the prior 2 years. Males were at increased risk for colorectal cancer and had not had a colonoscopy in the previous 5 years. Investigators looked at procedure use before and after implementation of the Affordable Care Act, as well as the link between use and income and education level. Among the results:
- Lower socioeconomic status was linked with less use of mammography before and after ACA implementation; post-ACA disparities were smaller.
- Mammography rates increased over the study period in all socioeconomic categories.
- There was a link between increased colonoscopy use and education level throughout the study period.
- There were no appreciable changes in colonoscopy and socioeconomic status after implementation of the ACA.
Cooper G, Kou T, Dor A, Koroukian S, Schluchter M. Cancer preventive services, socioeconomic status, and the Affordable Care Act. [Published online ahead of print January 9, 2017]. Cancer. doi:10.1002/cncr.30476.