scholarly journals Association between health insurance status and malignant glioma

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 531-540
Author(s):  
Igor Fischer ◽  
Hendrik-Jan Mijderwijk ◽  
Ulf D Kahlert ◽  
Marion Rapp ◽  
Michael Sabel ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Prior studies have suggested an association between patient socioeconomic status and brain tumors. In the present study we attempt to indirectly validate the findings, using health insurance status as a proxy for socioeconomic status. Methods There are 2 types of health insurance in Germany: statutory and private. Owing to regulations, low- and middle-income residents are typically statutory insured, whereas high-income residents have the option of choosing a private insurance. We compared the frequencies of privately insured patients suffering from malignant neoplasms of the brain with the corresponding frequencies among other neurosurgical patients at our hospital and among the German population. To correct for age, sex, and distance from the hospital, we included these variables as predictors in logistic and binomial regression. Results A significant association (odds ratio [OR] = 1.59, CI = 1.45-1.74, P < .001) between health insurance status and brain tumors was found. The association is independent of patients’ sex or age. Whereas privately insured patients generally tend to come from farther away, such a relationship was not observed for patients suffering from brain tumors. Comparing the out of house and in-house brain tumor patients showed no selection bias on our side. Conclusion Previous studies have found that people with a higher income, level of education, or socioeconomic status are more likely to suffer from malignant brain tumors. Our findings are in line with these studies. Although the reason behind the association remains unclear, the probability that our results are due to some random effect in the data is extremely low.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 96-96
Author(s):  
Courtney Williams ◽  
Stacey A. Ingram ◽  
Valerie Lawhon ◽  
Clara Wan ◽  
Kelly Kenzik ◽  
...  

96 Background: Though uninsurance rates declined after the Affordable Care Act, the number of underinsured, or individuals who spend > 10% of their income on out-of-pocket (OOP) medical costs, continues to rise. In patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), underinsurance may lead to financial toxicity (FT), or patient-level financial burden and distress, since diagnosis and treatment is extremely costly. This study explores health insurance literacy and the association between FT and health insurance status in women receiving treatment for MBC. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized survey data collected from 2017-2019 in women age ≥18 receiving treatment for MBC at two academic medical centers in Alabama. FT was measured by the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) tool (11-item scale from 0-44, with lower scores indicating worse FT). Health insurance status and OOP costs were self-reported. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d or Cramer’s V. Mixed and generalized linear models clustered by site and treating medical oncologist estimated the association between FT and health insurance status. Results: In 81 women with MBC, median COST score was 24 (interquartile range [IQR] 17-30), 44% had private insurance, 40% Medicare, and 16% Medicaid. Though 25% and 33% of surveyed patients did not know their health insurance premium or deductible cost, respectively, privately insured patients more often knew the cost of their premiums (97%; V = 0.58) and deductibles (81%; V = 0.33) compared to publicly insured patients. In adjusted models, FT levels did not differ significantly based on health insurance type (private insurance COST 21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 18-25; Medicaid COST 23, 95% CI 17-29; Medicare COST 24, 95% CI 20-27). However, risk of severe FT (COST ≤13) was 147% higher for privately insured patients versus Medicare beneficiaries (risk ratio 2.47, 95% CI 1.44-4.21). Conclusions: Despite higher levels of health insurance literacy, privately insured patients receiving treatment for MBC may be at increased risk of severe FT. Further research is needed to understand causes of underinsurance in patients with MBC, which could lead to cancer-related FT.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 7026-7026
Author(s):  
Jingxuan Zhao ◽  
Xuesong Han ◽  
Leticia Nogueira ◽  
Ahmedin Jemal ◽  
Michael T. Halpern ◽  
...  

7026 Background: While previous studies demonstrated associations between Medicaid coverage or no health insurance with both advanced stage at cancer diagnosis and worse survival, access to health care in the U.S. has changed substantially in the past decade. This study examined associations of health insurance status with stage at diagnosis and survival among 17 common cancers using recent national data. Methods: We identified 1,427,532 cancer patients aged 18-64 years newly diagnosed with 17 common cancers from the 2010-2013 National Cancer Database. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the distribution of stage at diagnosis by health insurance status (private, Medicare, Medicaid, dual Medicare/Medicaid, and uninsured) overall and for each cancer site. Cox models compared stage-specific survival by health insurance for each site. Results: Compared to privately insured patients, Medicaid and uninsured patients were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer (III/IV) for all the 17 cancers combined (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.27, 95% confidence interval [95CI]: 2.24-2.29; AOR: 2.39, 95CI: 2.36-2.42, respectively) and for all included cancer sites separately. Medicare and Medicare-Medicaid patients were also more likely to be diagnosed at advanced-stage for all the 17 cancers combined, but results varied by cancer site. Compared to the privately insured patients, worse survival was observed for patients with all other insurance types and uninsured at each stage for all the 17 cancers combined and most cancer sites. For example, among patients diagnosed at stage I, adjusted mortality hazard ratios for Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare-Medicaid, and uninsured patients were 1.72 (95CI: 1.70-1.75), 1.73 (95CI: 1.71-1.76), 2.07 (95CI: 2.02-2.17) and 1.56 (95CI: 1.53-1.58), respectively, compared with privately-insured patients. Conclusions: Patients with non-private insurance were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at advanced stage and have worse survival. Improving access to health insurance with adequate coverage is crucial for receiving appropriate cancer screening, diagnosis, and quality care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 107327481983718
Author(s):  
Shivanshu Awasthi ◽  
Travis Gerke ◽  
Vonetta L. Williams ◽  
Francis Asamoah ◽  
Angelina K. Fink ◽  
...  

The extent to which prostate cancer (PCa) pathology interacts with health insurance to predict PCa outcomes remains unclear. This study will assess the overall association of health insurance on PCa disease control and analyze its interrelationship PCa pathology. A total of 674 PCa patients, treated with prostatectomy from 1987 to 2015, were included in the study. Freedom from biochemical failure (FFbF) was used as a measure of PCa disease control. Methods of categorical and survival analysis were used to analyze the relationships between health insurance, PCa pathology, and FFbF. A total of 63.3% patients were privately insured, 27.1% were publicly insured, and 9.5% were uninsured. In a multivariable model, privately (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-0.97, P = .03) and publicly (HR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.41-1.04, P = .07) insured patients showed improvement in FFbF compared to uninsured patients. The association of health insurance was significantly stronger for the patients with pathologically low grade PCa (pathologic Gleason Score 3+3 & preoperative prostate-specific antigen ≤10 ng/mL), likelihood ratio P = .009. Privately (HR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.10-0.46) or publicly (HR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.11-0.60) insured patients with low grade PCa demonstrated favorable association with FFbF. Patients with private and public insurance were more likely to experience favorable treatment. The association of health insurance on PCa disease control is significantly stronger among patients with pathologically low grade PCa. This study identifies health insurance status as pretreatment surrogate for PCa disease control.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yazmin San Miguel ◽  
Scarlett Lin Gomez ◽  
James D. Murphy ◽  
Richard B. Schwab ◽  
Corinne McDaniels-Davidson ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose We assessed breast cancer mortality in older versus younger women according to race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), and health insurance status. Methods The study included female breast cancer cases 18 years of age and older, diagnosed between 2005 and 2015 in the California Cancer Registry. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to generate hazard ratios (HR) of breast cancer specific deaths and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for older (60+ years) versus younger (<60 years) patients separately by race/ethnicity, nSES, and health insurance status. Results Risk of dying from breast cancer was higher in older than younger patients after multivariable adjustment, which varied in magnitude by race/ethnicity (P-interaction<0.0001). Comparing older to younger patients, higher mortality differences were shown for non-Hispanic white (HR=1.43; 95% CI, 1.36-1.51) and Hispanic women (HR=1.37; 95% CI, 1.26-1.50) and lower differences for non-Hispanic blacks (HR=1.17; 95% CI, 1.04-1.31) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (HR=1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.31). HRs comparing older to younger patients varied by insurance status (P-interaction<0.0001), with largest mortality differences observed for privately insured women (HR=1.51; 95% CI, 1.43-1.59) and lowest in Medicaid/military/other public insurance (HR=1.18; 95% CI, 1.10-1.26). No age differences were shown for uninsured women. HRs comparing older to younger patients were similar across nSES strata. Conclusion Our results provide evidence for the continued disparity in black-white breast cancer mortality, which is magnified in younger women. Moreover, insurance status continues to play a role in breast cancer mortality, with uninsured women having the highest risk for breast cancer death, regardless of age.


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 370-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heng Fan ◽  
Yu Zhao ◽  
Guo-dong Chen ◽  
Min Sun ◽  
Jian-Hua Zhu

Objective To investigate the relationship between health insurance status and outcomes of septic acute kidney injury (AKI) related hospitalizations in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Ningbo, China. Methods For this retrospective study, information was extracted from patients notes and billing records for patients >18 years of age with a diagnosis of AKI admitted to the ICU department, Ningbo First Hospital from April 2013 to March 2018. Results Of the 368 patients with sepsis admitted to ICU, 167 (45%) developed AKI; 95 patients were insured and 72 were uninsured. Compared with insured patients, uninsured patients were younger, had higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, but had less catheter interventions and received less renal replacement therapy (RRT). Results from a multivariate analysis showed that independent predictors of ICU mortality were age, APACHE II scores, MODS scores, use of RRT and lack of insurance. Conclusions Uninsured patients with septic AKI were younger, stayed a shorter time in ICU, had higher illness severity scores and a higher ICU mortality than insured patients. Importantly a major risk factor for ICU mortality in this group was lack of insurance.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yazmin San Miguel ◽  
Scarlett Lin Gomez ◽  
James D. Murphy ◽  
Richard B. Schwab ◽  
Corinne McDaniels-Davidson ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose We assessed breast cancer mortality in older versus younger women according to race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), and health insurance status. Methods The study included female breast cancer cases 18 years of age and older, diagnosed between 2005 and 2015 in the California Cancer Registry. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to generate hazard ratios (HR) of breast cancer specific deaths and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for older (60+ years) versus younger (<60 years) patients separately by race/ethnicity, nSES, and health insurance status. Results Risk of dying from breast cancer was higher in older than younger patients after multivariable adjustment, which varied in magnitude by race/ethnicity (P-interaction<0.0001). Comparing older to younger patients, higher mortality differences were shown for non-Hispanic white (HR=1.43; 95% CI, 1.36-1.51) and Hispanic women (HR=1.37; 95% CI, 1.26-1.50) and lower differences for non-Hispanic blacks (HR=1.17; 95% CI, 1.04-1.31) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (HR=1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.31). HRs comparing older to younger patients varied by insurance status (P-interaction<0.0001), with largest mortality differences observed for privately insured women (HR=1.51; 95% CI, 1.43-1.59) and lowest in Medicaid/military/other public insurance (HR=1.18; 95% CI, 1.10-1.26). No age differences were shown for uninsured women. HRs comparing older to younger patients were similar across nSES strata. Conclusion Our results provide evidence for the continued disparity in black-white breast cancer mortality, which is magnified in younger women. Moreover, insurance status continues to play a role in breast cancer mortality, with uninsured women having the highest risk for breast cancer death, regardless of age.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yazmin San Miguel ◽  
Scarlett Lin Gomez ◽  
James D. Murphy ◽  
Richard B. Schwab ◽  
Corinne McDaniels-Davidson ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose We assessed breast cancer mortality in older versus younger women according to race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), and health insurance status. Methods The study included female breast cancer cases 18 years of age and older, diagnosed between 2005 and 2015 in the California Cancer Registry. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to generate hazard ratios (HR) of breast cancer specific deaths and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for older (60+ years) versus younger (<60 years) patients separately by race/ethnicity, nSES, and health insurance status. Results Risk of dying from breast cancer was higher in older than younger patients after multivariable adjustment, which varied in magnitude by race/ethnicity (P-interaction<0.0001). Comparing older to younger patients, higher mortality differences were shown for non-Hispanic white (HR=1.43; 95% CI, 1.36-1.51) and Hispanic women (HR=1.37; 95% CI, 1.26-1.50) and lower differences for non-Hispanic blacks (HR=1.17; 95% CI, 1.04-1.31) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (HR=1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.31). HRs comparing older to younger patients varied by insurance status (P-interaction<0.0001), with largest mortality differences observed for privately insured women (HR=1.51; 95% CI, 1.43-1.59) and lowest in Medicaid/military/other public insurance (HR=1.18; 95% CI, 1.10-1.26). No age differences were shown for uninsured women. HRs comparing older to younger patients were similar across nSES strata. Conclusion Our results provide evidence for the continued disparity in black-white breast cancer mortality, which is magnified in younger women. Moreover, insurance status continues to play a role in breast cancer mortality, with uninsured women having the highest risk for breast cancer death, regardless of age.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yazmin San Miguel ◽  
Scarlett Lin Gomez ◽  
James D. Murphy ◽  
Richard B. Schwab ◽  
Corinne McDaniels-Davidson ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose We assessed breast cancer mortality in older versus younger women according to race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), and health insurance status. Methods The study included female breast cancer cases 18 years of age and older, diagnosed between 2005 and 2015 in the California Cancer Registry. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to generate hazard ratios (HR) of breast cancer specific deaths and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for older (60+ years) versus younger (<60 years) patients separately by race/ethnicity, nSES, and health insurance status. Results Risk of dying from breast cancer was higher in older than younger patients after multivariable adjustment, which varied in magnitude by race/ethnicity (P-interaction<0.0001). Comparing older to younger patients, higher mortality differences were shown for non-Hispanic white (HR=1.43; 95% CI, 1.36-1.51) and Hispanic women (HR=1.37; 95% CI, 1.26-1.50) and lower differences for non-Hispanic blacks (HR=1.17; 95% CI, 1.04-1.31) and Asians/Pacific Islanders (HR=1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.31). HRs comparing older to younger patients varied by insurance status (P-interaction<0.0001), with largest mortality differences observed for privately insured women (HR=1.51; 95% CI, 1.43-1.59) and lowest in Medicaid/military/other public insurance (HR=1.18; 95% CI, 1.10-1.26). No age differences were shown for uninsured women. HRs comparing older to younger patients were similar across nSES strata. Conclusion Our results provide evidence for the continued disparity in black-white breast cancer mortality, which is magnified in younger women. Moreover, insurance status continues to play a role in breast cancer mortality, with uninsured women having the highest risk for breast cancer death, regardless of age.


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