The introduction of the Affordable Care Act (colloquially known as Obamacare or ACA) eliminated out-of-pocket expenses for integral preventative care services, specifically mammograms and colonoscopies, two tests that can detect cancer. Especially among older Americans, who are more at risk for these cancers, the use of mammograms increased under Obamacare, according to a new study published in the science journal Cancer. Colonoscopies, possibly due to their invasive nature, did not see a similar increase.
The Study
When women, regardless of socioeconomic class or education status, were offered a free mammogram after the ACA, they were more likely to access the test than they were before Obamacare.
Dr. Gregory Cooper, the lead author of the study, said, "We wanted to see, as a natural experiment, what happens when you change the financial burden on preventive services." It’s possible that these preventative tests will no longer remain free under the new presidential administration.
In the study, Cooper and his fellow researchers examined Medicare claims for men and women 70 years and older. With this data, they could look at how people were treated before the advent of the ACA and after the preventative care services became free.
They came in knowing that people with more wealth are more likely to get screened but wanted to find out what happens when financial barriers are removed from the screening process.
They discovered that after the passage of Obamacare, rates of women taking mammograms increased. And although women from lower-SES backgrounds and education levels were still tested less, the gap narrowed.
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The implementation of the ACA helped lower the number of uninsured women in the U.S., making it easier for them to receive regular care. Source: hhs.gov |
What’s Next
President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Party have promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with some sort of alternative, the details of which have not yet been clearly fleshed out.
It’s unclear which, if any, parts of Obamacare will remain under a new health care program. The ACA’s coverage of preventative care for cancer may or may not get the ax.
"I haven't heard anything about preventive services, but I would argue that, even if the program itself is dismantled, that would be a worthy benefit to keep," Cooper said.
Removing financial barriers from critical preventative care measures such as mammograms was a key tenet of Obamacare—and has proven beneficial in increasing the number people receiving this particular type of care. While there is still work to be done in increasing the amount of people receiving mammograms and colonoscopies, financial incentives for preventive services can assist in helping people lead healthier lives.
