Phone: (516) 487-8207
A new study on Medicaid, due to be published next month, bodes unfavorably for the insurance program. Survivability rates were weaker for Medicaid patients with cancer than for non-Medicaid patients, including those without any insurance at all.
The study, undertaken by researchers in Ohio, will be published in the journal, Cancer. Eight curable cancers including melanoma and lung cancer were studied and figures was pulled from the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System and Ohio Medicaid enrollment data. 11% of those studied were Medicaid beneficiaries. 45% of those enrolled in Medicaid only after their cancer diagnosis.
In Medicaid's favor was information showing that those recipients, who were enrolled prior to the diagnosis, had higher rates of survivability than were those not enrolled ahead of time. The researchers conjectured this was due to their ability to "develop a network of providers and an ability to navigate the system." For example, earlier studies indicate that longer enrollment in Medicaid affords greater leverage to access cancer screenings like mammograms.
But the glaring tale that private insurance and having no insurance at all determines better outcomes for those studied than does Medicaid is a terrible sign. This result held even after variables like geography, education, and income were controlled. The study does not offer any answers for the result but cautions that they were unable to control for whether Medicaid patients are more prone to pre-existing conditions or if their support system is less abundant than others.
MORE INFO:
If you would like more information about how medical malpractice and accident cases work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational website. If you have legal questions, I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.
Read More About Cancer Survivability Drops with Medicaid; New Study Says...
