9. Better Insurance, Better Outcomes
Having good health insurance leads to better outcomes for people with cancer and can help erase disparities in care. One study presented this year found that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) led to faster treatment for eight kinds of advanced cancer and nearly eliminated the gap between the proportion of white people and African Americans who received timely treatment. Other research showed that early detection and treatment of ovarian cancer increased after the ACA went into effect. But Medicaid, which restricts access to certain treatments, may not be enough. One recent study found that multiple myeloma patients with private insurance had a greater probability of survival than those covered by Medicaid, while another showed that people with breast cancer have a higher risk of dying if they have Medicare or Medicaid coverage rather than a private plan.
