With Medicaid patients less likely to be screened, it is no surprise that this population tends to have more advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis. Barely more than half of primary care physicians screened this demographic appropriately for colon, cervical, or breast cancer. Patient non-compliance can’t explain this, as the data came directly from the office notes. Neither than insurance coverage, since these screening tests are covered by Medicaid.
This is not an acceptable finding, and this population segment needs outreach to ensure adequate cancer screening.
Related posts:
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- New colon cancer screening modalities
- Should I get a PSA test for prostate cancer? A new study shows that screening for prostate cancer doesn’t necessarily save lives
- Prostate cancer screening in blacks, and the lack of balanced information
- MRI for breast cancer screening
- Colon cancer screening guidelines
- False positive cancer screening tests doesn’t resonate in Congress
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I found out the hard way that New York Medicaid does not cover pap smears unless you are a designated gyn provider by the state, which not surprising excludes an internist or family physician from providing the service. How that layer of bureaucracy helps poor women get needed care is beyond me.
As for colonoscopies, they may be covered, but only if you can find a gastroenterologist willing to accept medicaid’s paltry reimbursement.
So, of the big three (colon ca, breast ca and cervical cancer), only breast cancer is easy to screen for, as far as New York goes. It is easy to do a breast exam and order a mammogram; getting the patient to go for it, unfortunately, is not so simple.
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