An LSU-Health Sciences Center Study shows more women in Louisiana are receiving breast cancer diagnoses and treatment because of Medicaid expansion. Lead Author Dr. Quyen Chu says they compared breast cancer rates before and after ACA expansion in 2016 and it led to a 27-percent increase in early-stage diagnosis.
“With the expansion, we have a higher percentage of folks being diagnosed with earlier breast cancer. We decreased the percentage of patients who were diagnosed with late cancer, specifically Stage 3,” said Chu.
Chu says the data is additional evidence that Medicaid expansion works. Chu says the national average of the uninsured is 8.9-percent, after ACA expansion in Louisiana the uninsured rate for the state is below the national average at 8-percent.
“But then when you compare states that did not expand Medicaid, such as Texas the uninsured rate is 17.7%,” said Chu.
The study compared breast cancer data among women in Louisiana from 2012 to 2018. It showed that after Medicaid expansion in 2016 more than 91-thousand women received breast cancer screenings, many for the first time. More than 1,100 have beendiagnosed with breast cancer as a result.
“The ACA expansion that was expanded by our governor was very forward-looking and insightful because it does impact lives,” said Chu.
Chu says they plan to compare data of other common medical conditions before and after Medicaid expansion.
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