1
|
Lima HA, Mavani P, Munir MM, Endo Y, Woldesenbet S, Khan MMM, Rawicz-Pruszyński K, Waqar U, Katayama E, Resende V, Khalil M, Pawlik TM. Medicaid expansion and palliative care for advanced-stage liver cancer. J Gastrointest Surg 2024; 28:434-441. [PMID: 38583893 DOI: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medicaid expansion (ME) has contributed to transforming the United States healthcare system. However, its effect on palliative care of primary liver cancers remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the association between ME and the receipt of palliative treatment in advanced-stage liver cancer. METHODS Patients diagnosed with stage IV hepatocellular carcinoma or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were identified from the National Cancer Database and divided into pre-expansion (2010-2013) and postexpansion (2015-2019) cohorts. Logistic regression identified predictors of palliative treatment. Difference-in-difference (DID) analysis assessed changes in palliative care use between patients living in ME states and patients living in non-ME states. RESULTS Among 12,516 patients, 4582 (36.6%) were diagnosed before expansion, and 7934 (63.6%) were diagnosed after expansion. Overall, rates of palliative treatment increased after ME (18.1% [pre-expansion] vs 22.3% [postexpansion]; P < .001) and are more pronounced among ME states. Before expansion, only cancer type and education attainment were associated with the receipt of palliative treatment. Conversely, after expansion, race, insurance, location, cancer type, and ME status (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06-1.44; P = .018) were all associated with palliative care. Interestingly, the odds were higher if treatment involved receipt of pain management (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.23-2.43; P = .006). Adjusted DID analysis confirmed increased rates of palliative treatment among patients living in ME states relative to non-ME states (DID, 4.4%; 95% CI, 1.2-7.7; P = .008); however, racial disparities persist (White, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.4-9.8; P = .009; minority, 2.6; 95% CI, -2.5 to 7.6; P = .333). CONCLUSION The implementation of ME contributed to increased rates of palliative treatment for patients residing in ME states after expansion. However, racial disparities persist even after ME, resulting in inequitable access to palliative care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henrique A Lima
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Department of Surgery, Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Parit Mavani
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Muhammad Musaab Munir
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Yutaka Endo
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Selamawit Woldesenbet
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Muhammad Muntazir Mehdi Khan
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Karol Rawicz-Pruszyński
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Department of Surgical Oncology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Usama Waqar
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Medical College, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Erryk Katayama
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Vivian Resende
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States; Department of Surgery, Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Mujtaba Khalil
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ortiz Rueda B, Endo Y, Tsilimigras DI, Araujo Lima H, Munir MM, Woldesenbet S, Dillhoff M, Ejaz A, Cloyd J, Pawlik TM. Impact of Medicaid expansion on the multimodal treatment of biliary tract cancer. J Surg Oncol 2024; 129:233-243. [PMID: 37795657 DOI: 10.1002/jso.27478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The impact of Medicaid expansion (ME) on the treatment of patients with cancer remains controversial, especially individuals requiring complex multidisciplinary care. We sought to evaluate the impact of Medicaid expansion (ME) on receipt of multimodal care, including surgical resection, for Stage I-III biliary tract cancer (BTC). METHODS Patients diagnosed with BTC between 40 and 65 years of age were identified from the National Cancer Database and divided into pre- (2008-2012) and post- (2015-2018) ME cohorts. Difference-in-difference (DID) analysis was used to determine the impact of ME on the utilization of surgery and multimodal chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy treatment for BTC. RESULTS Among 12,415 patients with BTC (extrahepatic, n = 5622, 45.3%; intrahepatic, n = 4352, 35.1%; gallbladder, n = 1944, 15.7%; overlapping, n = 497, 4.0%), 5835 (47.0%) and 6580 (53.0%) patients were diagnosed before versus after ME, respectively. Overall utilization of surgery (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.26) and multimodality therapy (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.27) increased in states that adopted ME. Utilization of surgery among uninsured/Medicaid patients in ME states increased relative to patients living in non-ME states (∆+10.1%, p = 0.01). Similarly, the use of multimodal treatment increased among uninsured/Medicaid patients living in ME versus non-ME states (∆+6.4%, p = 0.04); in contrast, there were no difference among patients with other insurance statuses (overall: ∆+1.5%, private: ∆-2.0%, other: ∆+3.9%, all p > 0.5). Uninsured/Medicaid patients with BTC who lived in a ME state had a lower risk of long-term death in the post-ME era (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67-0.98; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Implementation of ME positively impacted survival among patients who underwent surgical and multimodal treatment for Stage I-III BTC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Belisario Ortiz Rueda
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Yutaka Endo
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Diamantis I Tsilimigras
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Henrique Araujo Lima
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Surgery, Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Muhammad Musaab Munir
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Selamawit Woldesenbet
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Mary Dillhoff
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Aslam Ejaz
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jordan Cloyd
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lima HA, Moazzam Z, Endo Y, Alaimo L, Woldesenbet S, Munir MM, Shaikh C, Resende V, Pawlik TM. The Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Early-Stage Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma at High- Versus Low-Volume Facilities. Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30:7263-7274. [PMID: 37368099 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-13810-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While Medicaid Expansion (ME) has improved healthcare access, disparities in outcomes after volume-dependent surgical care persist. We sought to characterize the impact of ME on postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) at high-volume (HVF) versus low-volume (LVF) facilities. METHODS Patients who underwent resection for PDAC were identified from the National Cancer Database (NCDB; 2011-2018). HVF was defined as ≥20 resections/year. Patients were divided into pre- and post-ME cohorts, and the primary outcome was textbook oncologic outcomes (TOO). Difference-in-difference (DID) analysis was used to assess changes in TOO achievement among patients living in ME versus non-ME states. RESULTS Among 33,764 patients who underwent resection of PDAC, 19.1% (n = 6461) were treated at HVF. Rates of TOO achievement were higher at HVF (HVF: 45.7% vs. LVF: 32.8%; p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, undergoing surgery at HVF was associated with higher odds of achieving TOO (odds ratio [OR] 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49-1.72) and improved overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-0.99]. Compared with patients living in non-ME states, individuals living in ME states were more likely to achieve TOO on adjusted DID analysis (5.4%, p = 0.041). Although rates of TOO achievement did not improve after ME at HVF (3.7%, p = 0.574), ME contributed to markedly higher rates of TOO among patients treated at LVF (6.7%, p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS Although outcomes for PDAC remain volume-dependent, ME has contributed to significant improvement in TOO achievement among patients treated at LVF. These data highlight the impact of ME on reducing disparities in surgical outcomes relative to site of care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henrique A Lima
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Zorays Moazzam
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Yutaka Endo
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Laura Alaimo
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Selamawit Woldesenbet
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Muhammad Musaab Munir
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Chanza Shaikh
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Vivian Resende
- Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lima HA, Endo Y, Moazzam Z, Alaimo L, Dillhoff M, Kim A, Beane J, Ejaz A, Cloyd J, Resende V, Pawlik TM. The Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Care. Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30:4589-4599. [PMID: 37142835 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-13562-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The impact of Medicaid expansion (ME) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, and heterogeneous effects on care processes may relate to sociodemographic factors. We sought to evaluate the association between ME and receipt of surgery in early-stage HCC. METHODS Patients diagnosed with early-stage HCC between 40 and 64 years of age were identified from the National Cancer Database and divided into pre- (2004-2012) and post- (2015-2017) expansion cohorts. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of surgical treatment. Difference-in-difference (DID) analysis assessed changes in surgical treatment between patients living in ME and non-ME states. RESULTS Among 19,745 patients, 12,220 (61.9%) were diagnosed before ME and 7525 (38.1%) after. Although overall utilization of surgery decreased after expansion (ME, pre-expansion: 62.2% versus post-expansion: 51.6%; non-ME, pre-expansion: 62.1% versus post-expansion: 50.8%, p < 0.001), this trend varied relative to insurance status. Notably, receipt of surgery increased among uninsured/Medicaid patients living in ME states after expansion (pre-expansion: 48.1%, post-expansion: 52.3%, p < 0.001). Moreover, treatment at academic or high-volume facilities increased the likelihood of undergoing surgery before expansion. After expansion, treatment at an academic facility and living in an ME state (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07-1.54, p < 0.01) were predictors of surgical treatment. DID analysis demonstrated increased utilization of surgery for uninsured/Medicaid patients living in ME states relative to non-ME states (uninsured/Medicaid: 6.4%, p < 0.05), although no differences were noted among patients with other insurance statuses (overall: 0.7%, private: -2.0%, other: 0.3%, all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Implementation of ME heterogeneously impacted utilization of care in early-stage HCC. Notably, uninsured/Medicaid patients residing in ME states demonstrated increased utilization of surgical treatment after expansion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henrique A Lima
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
- Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Yutaka Endo
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Zorays Moazzam
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Laura Alaimo
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Mary Dillhoff
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alex Kim
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Joal Beane
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Aslam Ejaz
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jordan Cloyd
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Vivian Resende
- Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Alaparthi S, Cha C. Improving Survival with Medicaid Expansion in Early Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Step in the Right Direction. Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30:4562-4563. [PMID: 37162642 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-13622-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S Alaparthi
- Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, USA
| | - C Cha
- Department of Surgery, Hartford Healthcare, Saint Vincent's Medical Center, Bridgeport, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hotca A, Bloom JR, Runnels J, Salgado LR, Cherry DR, Hsieh K, Sindhu KK. The Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Patients with Cancer in the United States: A Review. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:6362-6373. [PMID: 37504329 PMCID: PMC10378187 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30070469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 2014, American states have had the option to expand their Medicaid programs as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed into law by former President Barack H. Obama in 2010. Emerging research has found that Medicaid expansion has had a significant impact on patients with cancer, who often face significant financial barriers to receiving the care they need. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive examination of the research conducted thus far on the impact of Medicaid expansion on patients with cancer. We begin with a discussion of the history of Medicaid expansion and the key features of the ACA that facilitated it. We then review the literature, analyzing studies that have investigated the impact of Medicaid expansion on cancer patients in terms of access to care, quality of care, and health outcomes. Our findings suggest that Medicaid expansion has had a positive impact on patients with cancer in a number of ways. Patients in expansion states are more likely to receive timely cancer screening and diagnoses, and are more likely to receive appropriate cancer-directed treatment. Additionally, Medicaid expansion has been associated with improvements in cancer-related health outcomes, including improved survival rates. However, limitations and gaps in the current research on the impact of Medicaid expansion on patients with cancer exist, including a lack of long-term data on health outcomes. Additionally, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms through which Medicaid expansion impacts cancer care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Hotca
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Julie R Bloom
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Juliana Runnels
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Lucas Resende Salgado
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Daniel R Cherry
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kristin Hsieh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kunal K Sindhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Khan H, Crook ED, Heslin MJ, Johnston FM, Fonseca AL. ASO Author Reflections: Disparities in Receipt of Palliative Therapies for Pancreatic Cancer: Did Medicaid Expansion Help? Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30:189-190. [PMID: 36245052 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-022-12638-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Khan
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Errol D Crook
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Martin J Heslin
- Department of Surgery, The University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Fabian M Johnston
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|