A study in Cancer investigated whether mammography and colonoscopy rates increased among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries following ACA implementation.
The researchers — led by Gregory S. Cooper, MD, of University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center — identified women ages 70 and older who had not undergone mammography in the past two years and patients at increased risk for colorectal cancer, also ages 70 and older, who had not undergone colonoscopy in the past five years.
Here's what you need to know:
1. Mammography rates increased after ACA implementation across all socioeconomic status quartiles.
2. Although lower socioeconomic status quartiles continuously had lower mammography rates than high socioeconomic status quartiles, overall socioeconomic disparities shrunk following ACA implementation.
3. Both before and after ACA implementation, there was an association between colonoscopy rates and education level; there was also some association between colonoscopy rates and income.
4. Overall, there were no significant changes in association between colonoscopy rates and socioeconomic status after ACA implementation.
The researchers conclude, "The removal of out-of-pocket expenditures may overcome a barrier to the receipt of recommended preventive services, but for colonoscopy, other procedural factors may remain as deterrents."