Vulnerable And Less Vulnerable Women In High-Deductible Health Plans Experienced Delayed Breast Cancer Care

Health Aff (Millwood). 2019 Mar;38(3):408-415. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05026.

Abstract

The effects of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment among vulnerable populations are unknown. We examined time to first breast cancer diagnostic testing, diagnosis, and chemotherapy among a group of women whose employers switched their insurance coverage from health plans with low deductibles ($500 or less) to plans with high deductibles ($1,000 or more) between 2004 and 2014. Primary subgroups of interest comprised 54,403 low-income and 76,776 high-income women continuously enrolled in low-deductible plans for a year and then up to four years in HDHPs. Matched controls had contemporaneous low-deductible enrollment. Low-income women in HDHPs experienced relative delays of 1.6 months to first breast imaging, 2.7 months to first biopsy, 6.6 months to incident early-stage breast cancer diagnosis, and 8.7 months to first chemotherapy. High-income HDHP members had shorter delays that did not differ significantly from those of their low-income counterparts. HDHP members living in metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, predominantly white, and predominantly nonwhite areas also experienced delayed breast cancer care. Policies may be needed to reduce out-of-pocket spending obligations for breast cancer care.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biopsy / statistics & numerical data
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy
  • Deductibles and Coinsurance / statistics & numerical data*
  • Delayed Diagnosis / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Income / statistics & numerical data
  • Insurance, Health / economics
  • Insurance, Health / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Poverty / statistics & numerical data
  • Vulnerable Populations / statistics & numerical data*