A study published in the JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery examines the effect of Medicaid expansion on head and neck cancer patients, finding that the expansions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were associated with improved access to care for these patients and selective Medicaid expansion may worsen existing regional disparities in terms of access to care and outcomes.
Medicaid expansion refers to a provision in the ACA that called for expansion of Medicaid eligibility to cover more low-income Americans. It was determined that each state would decide whether to participate in the expansion - accept federal funds - or not. As of 2020, 37 states including the District of Columbia accepted Medicaid expansion. South Carolina is one of 14 states that has not. As a result, there are gaps in coverage for adults who have incomes above Medicaid eligibility limits yet still below the poverty level, exacerbating challenges with access to care, which is vital in the early detection of cancer.
"We performed the study because delivering timely head and neck cancer care is critical for optimal outcomes," said Evan Graboyes, M.D., a researcher at Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina and senior author on the study. The surgeon at MUSC Health specializes in the treatment of head and neck cancers.
The team analyzed data from a national sample of nearly 91,000 adults with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer who were identified from the National Cancer Database. In this observational study, researchers examined the effect that Medicaid expansion, as part of the ACA, had on the patients' stages of cancer at the time of diagnosis as well as treatment delays for these patients.
Medicaid expansions are known to increase the percentage of patients getting treatment who have localized (stages I or II) cancer at diagnosis for cancers such as colon and breast cancer that have screening tests. Graboyes said the researchers wanted to know the effect of Medicaid expansions on head and neck cancer, which lacks a screening test, he said.
The study showed in states that expanded Medicaid as part of the ACA, patients with head and neck cancer were more likely to be diagnosed with localized (stages I to II) cancer and initiate treatment in a timelier fashion than patients in nonexpansion states. Because of the strong association with a particular stage at diagnosis and the timely treatment that leads to survival for head and neck cancer, the study suggests that Medicaid expansion that offers insurance coverage may help to improve outcomes for these patients.
