Open AccessCancer survival disparities by health insurance status
Author(s) -
Niu Xiaoling,
Roche Lisa M.,
Pawlish Karen S.,
Henry Kevin A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
cancer medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 53
ISSN - 2045-7634
DOI - 10.1002/cam4.84
Subject(s) - medicine , hazard ratio , proportional hazards model , medicaid , cancer , survival analysis , breast cancer , colorectal cancer , lung cancer , prostate cancer , oncology , confidence interval , health care , economics , economic growth
Previous studies found that uninsured and Medicaid insured cancer patients have poorer outcomes than cancer patients with private insurance. We examined the association between health insurance status and survival of N ew J ersey patients 18–64 diagnosed with seven common cancers during 1999–2004. Hazard ratios ( HRs ) with 95% confidence intervals for 5‐year cause‐specific survival were calculated from Cox proportional hazards regression models; health insurance status was the primary predictor with adjustment for other significant factors in univariate chi‐square or K aplan– M eier survival log‐rank tests. Two diagnosis periods by health insurance status were compared using K aplan– M eier survival log‐rank tests. For breast, colorectal, lung, non‐Hodgkin lymphoma ( NHL ), and prostate cancer, uninsured and Medicaid insured patients had significantly higher risks of death than privately insured patients. For bladder cancer, uninsured patients had a significantly higher risk of death than privately insured patients. Survival improved between the two diagnosis periods for privately insured patients with breast, colorectal, or lung cancer and NHL , for Medicaid insured patients with NHL , and not at all for uninsured patients. Survival from cancer appears to be related to a complex set of demographic and clinical factors of which insurance status is a part. While ensuring that everyone has adequate health insurance is an important step, additional measures must be taken to address cancer survival disparities.