Private Health Insurance Research Articles

Abstract PO4-05-01: Clinical outcomes of breast cancer and its relationship with access to health care in Brazil: prospective study in HER2 negative/hormone receptor positive metastatic disease - BREAST (BRazilian outcomE for metAStatic breasT cancer)

Abstract Background: Cancer survival is one of the key measures of the effectiveness of cancer services and captures whether people have access to effective treatment. The survival rate of breast cancer in low and middle-income countries is notably different from high-income countries; this disparity in survival reflects limited access to first-line systemic therapy for advanced and metastatic tumors. Recent studies have shown benefit of combining cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK 4/6) with endocrine therapies in hormone receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer. However, in Brazil, the population has limited access to these drugs, mainly in the public health service. The commercialization of CDK 4/6 inhibitors was only released in the national territory in 2018, but until nowadays it is not accessible for most patients. Objective: The aim of this project is to assess whether patients without private health insurance may experience worse outcomes compared to women with private insurance, primarily due to limited access to a specific class of medication during their treatments. The study seeks to gain insights into the clinical outcomes of patients with HR+ HER2- metastatic breast cancer based on their access to health insurance coverage within a real-world setting. Methods: Multicenter, prospective observational study, with patients divided into two groups: one with patients from the public health system and the second with patients treated at the private service. Whereas that the hazard ratio for the primary outcome in the private system compared to the public health system is like that observed in the PALOMA study (0.58), and that event rates after 18 months of follow-up are also similar (approximately 45% and 35%), then a total of 298 patients will provide the study power of 80%, significance level of 5%. This calculation considers a sample size ratio of 1 patient in the private health system for every 2 patients in the public health system. The inclusion criteria specify women with HR+ HER2- metastatic breast cancer who initiated first-line treatment from 2019. Patients will be followed for 24 months and stratified based on the use or non-use of CDK 4/6 inhibitors. The study was approved by the local ethics committee and registered with Clinical Trials (NCT05559528). Results: A total of 300 patients were evaluated, with 199 (66.3%) in the public health system and 101 (33.7%) in the private service. The mean age was 58 years, and 76.2% were postmenopausal. In terms of metastasis site, 84.7% had non-visceral disease, predominantly with bone metastasis (75.7%), which is an expected characteristic of this type of tumor. The use of CDK 4/6 inhibitors at any point in the treatment of metastatic disease was 7.0% in the public health system versus 90.1% in the private service. As a preliminary outcome, with a median time since the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer of 22.8 months, a mortality rate of 10% was identified in the public health system group compared to 5% in the private service group. Conclusions: The results of our study highlight the disparity in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer among patients in relation to access to healthcare. Patients dependent on the public health system experience higher mortality rates. These findings are crucial for supporting discussions on improving local policies regarding access to medications that have been proven to enhance the prognosis of these patients. Citation Format: Vanessa Sanvido, Lucíola Pontes, Rachel Machado, Marina Nicola, Jackeline Gomes, Letícia Barbante, Nanci Valeis, Alexandre Cavalcanti, Afonso Nazário. Clinical outcomes of breast cancer and its relationship with access to health care in Brazil: prospective study in HER2 negative/hormone receptor positive metastatic disease - BREAST (BRazilian outcomE for metAStatic breasT cancer) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-05-01.

Abstract PO1-17-11: Trends in post-mastectomy reconstruction by age in Korea and among Asian-Americans

Abstract Background: Post-mastectomy immediate breast reconstruction (PMIBR) has been underutilized in the elderly. This study examines the trends of PMIBR by age in a large Korean medical center and compares them to the Asian-American population in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Methods: We analyzed 5,601 patients who underwent PMIBR out of 13,654 total mastectomy patients between 2001 and 2021 in a Korean Center. Patient characteristics associated with higher likelihood of receiving reconstruction were assessed and compared between patients under 60 years of age and those aged 60 years and older. Complications were investigated in 1,669 patients between 2010 and 2020. In addition, we compared this to 966,354 female patients in the NCDB from 2004-2020 with stage 0-3 breast cancer who underwent mastectomy. Results: The number of PMIBR at the Korean center increased almost ten-fold, but there was a discrepancy in the increase between younger and older women. In the younger group, the proportion of PMIBR rose from 13% (53/398) to 77% (508/664), while in the older group, it increased from 0% (0/60) to 26% (49/186). In the NCDB, Asian-Americans had the lowest rate of breast reconstruction (29%) compared to white (35.4%), black (30.1%), and Hispanic Americans (33.5%). As seen in the table, the rates increased in both age groups but plateaued around 2014 and remained stable until 2020. In 2020, the PMIBR rates were 37% for young Asian-Americans, 48% for young non-Asians, 14% for older Asian-Americans, and 24% for older non-Asians. At the Korean center, patients living in a metropolitan area (42.6% vs.39.8% p=0.001), having higher education (44.7% vs. 10.5% p< 0.001), being unmarried (63.1% vs. 39.3% p< 0.001), having no history of childbirth (53.7% vs 39.9% p< 0.001), having lower stage and hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative breast cancer were more likely to undergo reconstruction. These factors were all more common in the younger age group. In the NCDB, patients receiving PMIBR were more likely to be white or non-Asian, have higher income and education, reside in a metropolitan area and in the Northeast, have less comorbidities, be treated in an academic center, and have a luminal subtype, lower stage, and private health insurance. At the Korean center, autologous reconstruction was more common than implant reconstruction, (68.4% vs. 31.6% for younger women, and 63.3% vs. 36.9% for older women) and the complication rate was similar for both age groups. In contrast, in the NCDB, implant reconstruction was more common in both age groups, tissue-based (29% vs 31%), implant-based (40.7% vs 40%), combined (11% vs 10.8%) and other (18% vs 17.6%) for older and younger women respectively. Conclusion: Both the Korean and American data illustrate remarkably lower utilization of immediate breast reconstruction in older patients. There are notable demographic and clinical differences between age groups but negligible difference in complication rates. Further research and interventions to address barriers in older women are needed. The higher rates of PMIBR in South Korea mirrors that of white women in the northeast USA, suggesting a potential disparity for Asian-Americans. Percentage of PMIBR over total mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) by age and race PMIBR= post-mastecomy immediate breast reconstruction; NCDB= national cancer database Citation Format: Soo-Young Lee, Madhav KC, Hyun Ho Han, Leah Kim, Mehra Golshan, Eric Schneider, Rachel Greenup, Donald Lannin, Hyung Bae Kim, Byung Ho Son, Jong Won Lee, Sae Byul Lee, Hee Jeong Kim, Tristen Park. Trends in post-mastectomy reconstruction by age in Korea and among Asian-Americans [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-17-11.

Abstract PO2-10-01: Discrimination, Trust, and Pain Outcomes Among Black Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer After Mastectomy

Abstract BACKGROUND Differences in perception, assessment, communication, and management of pain contribute to racial/ethnic pain disparities in breast cancer (BC). We previously found that Black women (BW) reported higher pain severity and interference with life after breast surgery compared to White women after adjusting for type of surgery and other potential confounders. Racial/ethnic inequities persist despite prior trials to improve disparate pain outcomes. This is likely because multiple factors contribute to pain expression, and structural factors affect the ability to control pain adequately. Perceived discrimination is associated with mistrust of medical providers. These factors are known to affect clinical outcomes, but their impact on pain has been understudied. In this preliminary analysis, we examine medical discrimination, trust in physician, and pain outcomes among BW with early-stage breast cancer after mastectomy. METHODS We surveyed BW with stage 0-III breast cancer who had mastectomy < 2 years of study enrollment at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center or Harris Health Smith Clinic in Houston, TX. Participants completed a demographic survey as well as the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Discrimination in Medical Settings Scale (DMS), and Trust in Physician Scale (TPS). In the BPI, participants reported their pain severity (PS) on a 0-10 scale at its worst, least, and on average. They reported pain interference with life (PI) from 0-10, types of pain treatments, and % relief from pain treatments. DMS and TPS questions were assessed on 5-point Likert scale. We performed chart review to obtain baseline clinical data related to BC diagnosis and treatment and comorbidities. We summarized patients’ baseline demographic and clinical information using descriptive statistics. PI and DMS were scored as a mean of the total items of each survey. We created mean Trust and Mistrust scores using means of the TPS questions related to each category. RESULTS Of the 37 BW surveyed, 36 (97.3%) were non-Hispanic. 23 (62.2%) had HR+ BC, and 2 (6.7%) had HER2+ disease. 26 (70.3%) women received chemotherapy, 10 (27%) received radiation therapy, and 17 (45.9%) received endocrine therapy. 26 (70.3%) women had > 1 comorbidity; the mean (SD) number reported was 1.3 (1.1). Mean BMI was 30.9 (6.6). 10 (29.4%) women completed high school, and 8 (23.5%) completed some college. 19 (55.9%) had a household income < $25,000, and 11 (32.4%) had private health insurance. Mean worst PS was 4.2 (3.1), and mean average PS was 3.6 (2.9). Mean composite PI score was 2.7 (2.7). 11 (29.7%) women were taking opioids for pain, 17 (45.9%) were taking non-opioid analgesics, and 3 (8.1%) were receiving non-medication treatments. Mean % pain relief with treatment was 52.3% (38.3). Mean DMS score was 1.2 (0.6). Mean composite TPS Trust and Mistrust scores were 4.4 (0.7) and 1.8 (1.0), respectively. CONCLUSION BW may continue to experience pain requiring opioid and/or non-opioid analgesics up to 2 years following mastectomy. Study participants reported relatively low levels of discrimination and high levels of trust on average. We are currently enrolling additional participants in the Emory Healthcare System and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA. After enrolling at least 80 total patients, we will determine the association between DMS and pain outcomes among participants adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors as well as assess TPS as a potential mediator in the causal pathway between DMS and PS. Citation Format: Demetria Smith-Graziani, Yichun Cao, Jeffrey Switchenko, Mothaffar Rimawi, Abenaa Brewster. Discrimination, Trust, and Pain Outcomes Among Black Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer After Mastectomy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-10-01.

Abstract PO4-10-03: Relationship Between Insurance Status and Breast Cancer Care in Young Mexican Women

Abstract BACKGROUND In Mexico, 71% of the population is covered by public health insurance, while 2% are privately insured and 27% are uninsured. Previous studies have demonstrated differences in breast cancer (BC) care according to type of healthcare coverage in the United States and Latin America. Most studies have observed that privately insured patients are diagnosed at earlier stages, have less symptom-to-diagnosis and treatment delays, and have better overall outcomes. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate whether differences in BC care exist among young women with breast cancer (YWBC), ≤40 years at diagnosis, depending on their insurance status in Mexico. METHODS Data was collected from the Mexican prospective cohort of YWBC Joven & Fuerte. Patient surveys and researcher follow-ups were used to collect data related to clinicopathologic features, time from symptom onset to seeking medical assistance and treatment, and perceived quality of information received and medical staff support. Results were analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS Information about health insurance status was available for 608 patients: 565 (93%) had public coverage and 43 (7%) had private coverage. Table 1 describes the clinicopathologic characteristics of both groups. Patients with private insurance were diagnosed at earlier stages, 0-II vs. III-IV (81% vs. 16%), than those with public insurance (50% vs. 45%) (p< 0.001). No difference was found on the distribution of BC subtypes among both groups. A total of 573 (94%) patients had registered information regarding the time from symptom onset to contacting a medical professional. Only 18 (3%) were diagnosed with imaging studies (5% and 3% with private and public coverage, respectively). More privately insured patients (95%) contacted a healthcare professional during the first 3 months since symptom onset than publicly insured patients (74%) (p=0.003). Information regarding the time from contacting a healthcare professional to treatment start was available for 472 (78%) patients. There was no difference in the proportion of patients who started treatment ≤3 months after arriving with a healthcare professional according to type of health insurance (76% private vs. 67% public coverage; p=0.2). The majority of patients (96%) considered having adequate support from the medical staff (100% private vs. 94% public). Compared to those with public coverage, more privately insured patients perceived receiving adequate information about their treatment (79% private vs. 50% public; p< 0.001). There were no differences between groups regarding the perceived quality of information regarding their diagnosis (p=0.06) and continuous BC care (p=0.6). CONCLUSION Patients with private coverage were diagnosed at earlier stages, reported contacting a healthcare professional earlier, and perceived receiving adequate information regarding their treatment more often than patients with public coverage. These results coincide with previously reported differences between patients with private and public health insurance. Interestingly, there were no differences between the delays from the first visit to treatment initiation and perceived support from the medical staff depending on type of healthcare coverage. Given the observed differences between privately and publicly insured patients, population-based interventions to increase awareness of alarm signs for BC and widespread access to quality patient education resources could help decrease the disparities between these groups. Table 1. Clinicopathologic features of BC depending on insurance status Citation Format: David G Gonzalez-Sanchez, Arantxa Ramirez-Cisneros, Alejandra Platas, Alejandra Platas, Daniela Vazquez-Juarez, Fernanda Mesa-Chavez, Ana Ferrigno, Alejandro Mohar, Alan Fonseca, Cynthia Villarreal-Garza. Relationship Between Insurance Status and Breast Cancer Care in Young Mexican Women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-10-03.

Abstract PO3-05-03: Real-World Data on First-line Treatment of Hormone Receptor-positive, HER2-negative, Metastatic Breast Cancer in Brazil (BRAVE study - LACOG 0221)

Abstract Introduction: Endocrine therapy (ET) plus CDK 4/6 inhibitors is considered the standard of care as first-line therapy in hormone receptor positive (HR+)/HER2 negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (mBC). Nonetheless, the use of chemotherapy (CT) is frequent in clinical practice, and access to CDK 4/6 inhibitors is limited in some countries. We used real-world data to describe treatment patterns, the impact of health insurance type, and outcomes among Brazilian patients with HR+/HER2- mBC treated in the first-line setting. Methods: In this observational retrospective study, female patients ≥ 18 years old diagnosed with de novo or recurrent HR+/HER2- mBC between January 2018 and December 2020 were included. Patients' data were extracted from medical charts or electronic health records (EHR). The primary endpoint was first-line treatment patterns in public and private health system cohorts. Key secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), defined as time from 1L treatment to progression or death, and overall survival (OS), defined as time from diagnosis of mBC until death or censoring. No formal statistical assumption was performed for sample size, the study recruited 2 cohorts of 150 patients from the public and 150 patients from the private health insurance system. Results: A total of 307 patients were included, 156 from public and 151 from private health insurance system, from 13 sites in Brazil. Median age was 56.8 (range 19.9-94.1), and 32.2% (N=99) had de novo MBC. Treatment patterns are described in Table 1. The most frequent treatment received in 1L was ET alone 42.4%, followed by CT (alone or CT followed by ET +- CDK4/6i) 31.6% and ET + CDK4/6i 25.1%. There was a significant difference between the 1L treatment with ET + CDK4/6i in the private and public systems, 48.3% vs 2.6%, p < .0001, respectively. The most frequently used CDK4/6i in 1L setting was Ribociclib (65.0%), followed by Palbociclib (36.9%) and Abemaciclib (7.1%). There was an increase in the use of CDK4/6i over time, 17% in 2018, 30.0% in 2019, and 27.9% in 2020. With a median follow-up of 32.2 months (95% CI: 29.4 - 34.4), the median 1L PFS was 22.9 months (95% CI: 16.9 - 25.2) in the public and 21.8 months (95% CI: 17.7 - 31.1) in the private health system, p=0.92. Median 1L PFS by treatment received was 13.6 months (95% CI: 6.1-39.0) with CT, 18.4 months (95% CI: 12.1-22.1) with CT followed by ET +-CDK4/6i, 21.9 months (95% CI: 17.3-25.5) with ET and 31.1 months with ET plus CDK 4/6i (95% CI: 15.8-42.8). Overall, median OS was 52.8 months (95%CI 49.4-NR). The 4-year OS rate per 1L treatment received were 50.3% (95% CI: 28.7-68.5) with CT, 39.0% (95% CI: 13.9-63.8) CT followed by ET +- CDK4/6i, 74.4% (95% CI: 58.0-85.1) with ET alone, 71.3% (95% CI: 49.6-85.0) ET + CDK4/6i, 50.3% (95% CI: 28.7-68.5) with CT and 39.0% (95% CI: 13.9-63.8) CT followed by ET +- CDK4/6i. Conclusion: ET is the most commonly used 1L treatment in clinical practice in Brazil, followed by ET + CDK4/6i and CT. A large difference in CDK4/6i use was observed between private and public health systems, reflecting the current limited access to CDK4/6i in Brazil. This study highlights treatment disparities within a nation with a fragmented health insurance system. Table 1. Treatment Patterns in Public and Private Healthcare Systems Citation Format: Gustavo Werutsky, Daniela Rosa, Tomás Reinert, Romualdo Barroso-Sousa, Heloísa Resende, Poliana Signorini, Eduardo Cronenberger, Juliana Góes Martins Fagundes, Jorge Henrique Santos Leal, Marina Dutra Giffoni, Aline Vieira, Luiza Nardin Weis, Jose Marcio Figueiredo, Tatiana Correa, Fernando Castilho Venero, Luisa Mostardeiro Tabajara Franche, Marina Musse Bernardes, Rafaela Jesus, Gustavo Gössling, José Bines. Real-World Data on First-line Treatment of Hormone Receptor-positive, HER2-negative, Metastatic Breast Cancer in Brazil (BRAVE study - LACOG 0221) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-05-03.

Abstract PO5-02-14: Clinical-pathological determinant factors to choose between four or six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel/cyclophosphamide (TC) in a retrospective real-world cohort of HER2-negative breast cancer patients

Abstract Introduction: The long-term severe adverse events associated with anthracyclines, including irreversible cardiotoxicity, myelodysplastic syndromes, and therapy-related leukemias, led researchers to question the risk-benefit of anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens, especially for patients without axillary lymph node involvement, leading to an increasing trend to omit anthracyclines in adjuvant treatment. Docetaxel plus cyclophosphamide (TC) has replaced doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide (AC) for lower-risk patients that need adjuvant chemotherapy. However, the optimal number of cycles of adjuvant in patients with node-positive or node-negative breast cancer is currently unknown. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with HER2-negative breast cancer, stage I to III, that received adjuvant docetaxel and cyclophosphamide (TC) for four or six cycles, treated from January 2010 to December 2021. Patients were included from four cancer institutions, both private and public, located in the South, Southeast, and Northeast of Brazil. Objectives: To investigate the clinical-pathological characteristics and survival of earlystage HER2-negative breast cancer patients who received four (TC4) or six cycles (TC6) of adjuvant docetaxel and cyclophosphamide (TC). Results: We collected data from six hundred and ninety-eight patients, 98.7% were female with an average age of 52 years, 51.9% were postmenopausal, 14.6% BRCA gene mutation, 66% had some comorbidity, and only 8.4% were not candidates for anthracyclines. Two hundred and twenty-five patients had public and 473 private health insurance. About 13.2% of the patients were hormone receptor negative (HR-) and 86.8% hormone receptor positive (HR+), 57.4% breast-conserving surgery and 77.7% sentinel lymph node (SL). Five hundred sixty-four (80.8%) patients received TC4 and 134 (19.2%) TC6. We observed that patients who received TC 6 had unfavorable prognostic factors such as: (TC4 vs TC6) previous breast cancer (8.7% vs 16.3%) (p=0.002), invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (73.4 vs 86.7%) (p=0.009), histological grade 3 (HG3) (34.9 vs 42.9%) (p= 0,085) conservative surgery (59.4% vs 53%) (p=0144), SL (80.9% vs 62.2%) (p =0.001), Lymph node positive (15% vs 42.3%) (p=0.001), pathological stage II (37.5% vs 50%) (p=0.001).Treatment completion rates were 96.5% and 84.3% for TC4 and TC6, respectively (p=0,02). The incidence of grade 3 or higher toxicity with TC6 (14% vs 21.1%; p= 0,043). Febrile neutropenia was observed in 6.7% of both groups. Grade 3 or higher neuropathy was most common with TC6 (2.2% vs 10.3%; p=0,163). Permanent treatment discontinuation was more frequent in the TC6 group (3.4% vs. 9.8%; p=0,004), as well as late toxicity (3.4% vs. 9.2%; p=0,004). Ninety-four percent of the patients completed the proposed cycles of chemotherapy, 72% received adjuvant radiotherapy and 85.4% received adjuvant hormone therapy, with 42% of these receiving an aromatase inhibitor for 5 years. The median follow-up of the entire cohort was 61 months. There was no difference in the 5-year DFS (77.5% vs. 64.7%; p=0.159) or the 5-year OS (89.5% vs. 70.5%; p= 0,06) between patients treated with TC4 and TC6. Conclusion: TC6 was commonly used for patients with unfavorable prognostic factors as history of previous breast cancer, (IDC), HG III, lymph node positive and stage II. Patients who received TC6 had less chance of completing the treatment and more severe toxicity, especially late peripheral neuropathy. There was no difference in DFS or OS. Citation Format: Mila Kraychete, Marcelle Cesca, Guilherme Almeida, Leonardo Santana, Luciana Leite, Solange M. Sanches, Vladmir Cordeiro de Lima, Rafaela Pirolli, Rafael Manea, Felipe Kaneta, Jean Coutinho, Lucas Vian, Waires Zeviani, Marcio Reis, Luciana Landeiro, Clarissa Mathias, Geila Nunez, Tamara Santana, Monique Tavares. Clinical-pathological determinant factors to choose between four or six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel/cyclophosphamide (TC) in a retrospective real-world cohort of HER2-negative breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-02-14.

Impact of Insurance Type on Access to Pediatric Surgical Care.

This study aimed to measure the impact of insurance type on access to pediatric surgical care, clinical and surgical scheduling decisions, provider-driven cancelations, and missed care opportunities (MCOs). We hypothesize that patients with public health insurance experience longer scheduling delays and more frequently canceled surgical appointments compared with patients with private health insurance. This retrospective study reviewed the demographics and clinical characteristics of patients who underwent a surgical procedure within the plastic and oral surgery department at our institution in 2019. Propensity score matching and linear regressions were used to estimate the effect of insurance type on hospital scheduling and patient access outcomes while controlling for procedure type and sex. A total of 457 patients were included in the demographic and clinical characteristics analyses; 354 were included in propensity score matching analyses. No significant differences in the number of days between scheduling and occurrence of initial consultation or number of clinic cancelations were observed between insurance groups (P > 0.05). However, patients with public insurance had a 7.4 times higher hospital MCO rate (95% CI [5.2-9.7]; P < 0.001) and 4.7 times the number of clinic MCOs (P = 0.007). No significant differences were found between insurance groups in timely access to surgical treatment or cancelations. Patients with public insurance had more MCOs than patients with private insurance. Future research should investigate how to remove barriers that impact access to care for marginalized patients.

From Financial Risk Management to Promotive Health: A Paradigm Shift in Employer-sponsored Health Insurance?

Health insurance serves to contain financial loss arising from an insured individual’s healthcare costs. We investigate an evolving paradigm shift in employer-sponsored health insurance by which workplace health promotion has increasingly gained coverage. The question for analytical investigation is why and how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) succeeded in integrating health promotion into private health insurance in the United States. Survey data (2008–2020) from the Employer Health Benefits, Annual Survey was disaggregated by insurance attributes and employer characteristics relative to health promotion benefits. Pertinent regulatory policies were content-analysed. The ACA offers a viable policy vehicle for mandating strategic, ex ante coverage of preventive and wellness services, and chronic disease management, nudging insurers to offer related benefits. Such policy is underpinned by insurer and employer incentives, including state-based individual mandates, the medical loss ratio, state-driven workplace initiatives and employee participation rewards. While health promotion reduces long-run healthcare costs and risk of disease and improves worker health and productivity, absent carefully devised incentives and rewards, compelling insurers and employers to cover promotive health is unlikely to achieve the objectives and imperatives of healthcare reform. Such policy could even have adverse, albeit unintended, consequences that outweigh their intended outcomes, as insurers may devise ‘backdoor’ strategies once regulatory costs become burdensome.

Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment in Comprehensive Primary Care Plus

To meet increasing demand for mental health and substance use services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the 5-year Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) demonstration in 2017, requiring primary care practices to integrate behavioral health services. To examine the association of CPC+ with access to mental health and substance use treatment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using difference-in-differences analyses, this retrospective cohort study compared adults attributed to CPC+ and non-CPC+ practices, from January 1, 2018, to June 30, 2022. The study included adults aged 19 to 64 years who had depression, anxiety, or opioid use disorder (OUD) and were enrolled with a private health insurer in Pennsylvania. Data were analyzed from January to June 2023. Receipt of care at a practice participating in CPC+. Total cost of care and the number of primary care visits for evaluation and management, community mental health center visits, psychiatric hospitalizations, substance use treatment visits (residential and nonresidential), and prescriptions filled for antidepressants, anxiolytics, buprenorphine, naltrexone, or methadone. The 188 770 individuals in the sample included 102 733 adults (mean [SD] age, 49.5 [5.6] years; 57 531 women [56.4%]) attributed to 152 CPC+ practices and 86 037 adults (mean [SD] age, 51.6 [6.6] years; 47 321 women [54.9%]) attributed to 317 non-CPC+ practices. Among patients diagnosed with OUD, compared with patients attributed to non-CPC+ practices, attribution to a CPC+ practice was associated with filling more prescriptions for buprenorphine (0.117 [95% CI, 0.037 to 0.196] prescriptions per patient per quarter) and anxiolytics (0.162 [95% CI, 0.005 to 0.319] prescriptions per patient per quarter). Among patients diagnosed with depression or anxiety, attribution to a CPC+ practice was associated with more prescriptions for buprenorphine (0.024 [95% CI, 0.006 to 0.041] prescriptions per patient per quarter). Findings of this cohort study suggest that individuals with an OUD who received care at a CPC+ practice filled more buprenorphine and anxiolytics prescriptions compared with patients who received care at a non-CPC+ practice. As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation invests in advanced primary care demonstrations, it is critical to understand whether these models are associated with indicators of high-quality primary care.

Barriers to the use of tests for early detection of colorectal cancer in Chile

This study aimed to assess the use of colorectal cancer (CRC) tests for prevention and early detection, alongside exploring the associated barriers to these tests. A stratified national survey was conducted in Chile, involving 1893 respondents (with a 2.3% error margin and 95% confidence interval). Logistic and multinomial regression analyses were employed to examine variations in test utilization likelihood and barrier. We found that the key determinants for undergoing CRC tests included age, health status, possession of private health insurance, and attainment of postgraduate education. Notably, 18% and 29% of respondents covered by public and private insurance, respectively, cited personal prevention as the primary motivation for test uptake. The principal obstacle identified was lack of knowledge, mentioned by 65% of respondents, while 29% and 19% of the publicly and privately insured respectively highlighted lack of access as a barrier. The results of this study provide valuable insights into factors influencing CRC screening, aiming to inform public health policies for expanding national coverage beyond diagnosis and treatment to encompass preventive measures.

Adherence, Burden, and Morbidity in Adults with Chronic Diseases in the Dominican Republic: A Cross-sectional Study in a Tertiary-level Hospital (A-CaMo II)

Introduction: Pharmacological adherence is a key factor in managing chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), so its efficacy concerning new therapies emerges as an essential consideration. Despite efforts, adherence rates vary widely, highlighting the complexity of the problem. Non-adherence affects treatment effectiveness and increases patient burden and medical costs. Understanding the interplay between burden, morbidity, and adherence is crucial for adapting health strategies. Objective: This study aims to measure pharmacological adherence, burden, and morbidity among patients with chronic diseases in the Dominican Republic, emphasizing the interplay between these dimensions. Methods: Data were collected using a cross-sectional design at the Centro Médico de Diabetes, Obesidad y Especialidades (CEMDOE) in Santo Domingo during August 2023. Patient interviews were conducted using standardized tools, including the Medication Adherence Reasons Scale (MAR-Scale) and the Disease Burden Morbidity Assessment (DBMA). Nonprobability convenience sampling yielded a sample of 384 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Significant statistical analysis included an ordinal regression analysis correlating medication adherence with disease burden. Results: Among the patients studied, the ordinal regression analysis unveiled a significant correlation (p = 0.001) between nonadherence and disease burden, indicating a 0.29 ± 0.09 unit increase in burden for every one-point decrease in adherence score. Patients with private health insurance and higher education levels exhibited more excellent adherence rates (65.97% and 63.89%, respectively), with a substantial portion also reporting a burden score ≥ 5 (70.07% and 70.42%, respectively). Moreover, the study population experienced a significant burden of multimorbidity (88.8%), with hypertension displaying the lowest burden (1.63 ± 1.13) despite its prevalence (76.76%). Conclusion: Despite the limitations, common reasons for non-adherence were identified, and significant disease burdens were observed, particularly in osteoarthritis, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis. Notably, a positive association was found between adherence and disease burden, underlining the importance of adherence in chronic disease management. Health disparities affecting access to medication and patient education were observed, highlighting the need for further research and intervention. The combined use of a scale that integrates both the DBMA and the MAR-Scale, in which adherence, burden, and morbidity are investigated simultaneously for each disease, would allow for a more comprehensive approach to all three characteristics regardless of which disease is included in the scales separately.

Factors associated with repeat emergency department visits for mental health care in adolescents: A scoping review

ObjectivesThe aim of this review was to identify factors associated with multiple visits to emergency department (ED) services for mental health care in adolescents. MethodsElectronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and ProQuest Dissertations & Thesis Global) were searched for evidence that presented an association between risk factors or correlates of multiple visits to the emergency departmental for mental health care by 10–24 year olds. High impact use was defined as at least one return ED visit for mental health care. Primary studies of any quantitative design were included, with no exclusions based on language or country and all possible risk factors were considered. Data were extracted and synthesised using quantitative methods; frequencies of positive, negative and null associations were summarised for categories of potential risk factors. ResultsSixty-five studies were included in the review. Most studies were from North America and reported a wide range of measures of high impact ED use, the most common being a binary indicator of multiple ED visits. Sex/gender and age were the most frequently reported risk factors. Measure of previous or concurrent access to mental health care was consistently positively associated with high impact use. Having private health insurance, compared with public or no insurance, was generally negatively associated with high impact use. Proxy measures of socioeconomic position (SEP) showed associations between lower SEP and more high impact use in a small number of studies. No other factors were consistently or uniformly associated with high impact use. ConclusionsThe review identified a substantial evidence base but due to the variability in study design and measurement of both risk factors and outcomes, no consistent risk factors emerged. More research is needed, particularly outside North America, using robust methods and high quality routinely collected data.

Comparison of 1-year survival between patients initiating chronic hemodialysis under public and private health insurance: register-based data analysis from Brazil.

Brazil has one of the world's highest numbers of patients on hemodialysis (HD). Most dialysis centers are private and perform HD for patients with private and public health insurance. We compared 1-year survival between patients initiating chronic HD with public and private health insurance. This is an HD register-based retrospective cohort. Adult patients starting HD from January 2011 to December 2021 were included. Survival analysis was stratified according to the period entered in the HD register. Multivariate Cox regression focused on 1-year survival differences between private and public patients. In the final sample (n = 5114), 68.5% of participants had public and 31.3% to private health insurance, with overall 1-year survival of 92.8% and 89.9%, respectively (p = 0.002). Crude analysis showed a slightly higher survival rate among patients with public health insurance than those with private health insurance (91 vs. 87%, p = 0.030) in the first period (2019-21). However, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) did not remain significantly higher for patients with private health insurance compared to those with public health insurance (HR = 1.07; 95% CI 0.80-1.41; p = 0.651), even after propensity score matching of the groups by several baseline features. Brazilian chronic HD patients funded by either private health plans or the public system have a similar 1-year mortality risk after controlling for several sociodemographic and clinical parameters.

Abstract SY15-02: Health insurance and outcome disparities in adolescents and young adults with cancer

Abstract SY15-02: Health insurance and outcome disparities in adolescents and young adults with cancer

Provider Exclusion in US Private Health Insurance Contract

Two national newspaper articles published in the Fall of 2018 addressed the issue of private health insurance provider contracts that act to exclude specific health systems from health plan networks. Inevitably, the question arises: Are such agreements illegal restraints of trade actionable under federal and state antitrust laws? A long-standing tenet of antifrust law is that it exists to protect competition not competitors. Excluding providers may be a legitimate outgrowth of the contracting process and therefore legal. However, an examination of the contracting process may reveal anticompetitive intent to restrain trade. The specific facts surrounding provider exclusion must be analyzed carefully in an effort to determine if there is illegal restraint of trade.

Designing and implementing a bundle of care for patients with early-stage breast cancer: lessons from a pilot program.

We present a case study on the design and implementation of a value-based bundled package of care for patients with early-stage breast cancer treated in the private health sector in Australia. Value-based healthcare is an essential change to how we deliver healthcare, shifting the focus from paying for individual services provided to a focus on the health outcomes gained over a full cycle of care. The Australian health system has unintentionally created barriers to value-based cancer care through fragmented care pathways and complex funding arrangements where patients can unexpectedly encounter high out-of-pocket costs. A team of clinicians, service providers, health systems and funding experts, private health insurers and consumers have collaborated to design and pilot a complete bundled package of care for breast cancer patients which aims to address these challenges. With 40 patients recruited to date, early evaluation results show positive patient experience of 'joined-up' care and financial transparency. This case study provides a high-level overview of the approach taken to design and implement the Breast Cancer Bundle and the lessons learned for its expansion in both public and private settings.

Factors Associated with Insured Children's Use of Physician Visits, Dentist Visits, Hospital Care, and Prescribed Medications in the United States: An Application of Behavioral Model of Health-Services Use.

This study is the first to examine factors in the utilization of physician services, dentist services, hospital care, and prescribed medications focusing exclusively on insured children in the United States. Data describing 48,660 insured children were extracted from the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health. Children in the present sample were covered by private health insurance, public health insurance, or other health insurance. Logistic regression results showed self-reported health to be negatively associated with physician visits, hospital-care use, and prescription use, but teeth condition to be positively associated with dentist visits. Physician visits were associated negatively with age, Hispanic ethnicity, Asian ethnicity, family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and other health insurance, but positively with parental education and metropolitan residency. Dentist visits were associated positively with girls, age, and parental education, but negatively with Asian ethnicity and public health insurance. Use of hospital care was associated negatively with age and Asian ethnicity, but positively with parental education and public health insurance. Use of prescriptions was associated positively with age, Black ethnicity, parental education, and public health insurance, but negatively with Hispanic ethnicity, Asian ethnicity, and family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Implications included the expansion of public health insurance, promotion of awareness of medicine discount programs, and understanding of racial/ethnic minorities' cultural beliefs in health and treatment.

Financial Performance and Bankruptcy Risk Analysis: An Application on Private Health Insurance Companies in Turkey

This research evaluates the correlation between the financial performances of seven insurance companies operating in Turkey from 2018 to 2022 and their risk of bankruptcy. In the study, data obtained from the year-end financial statements of the companies were used, weights were assigned to the criteria determined by the ENTROPY methodology, and the performance rankings of the companies were obtained using the WASPAS method. The Altman-Z model was applied to determine the risk of bankruptcy. The decisive criteria in the financial performance ranking are profitability ratios such as Asset Profitability, Equity Profitability, and Net Profit Margin. While Turkey Insurance and Anadolu Insurance's leadership positions in the sector were identified, Ray Insurance and Mapfre Insurance were determined as the companies showing the weakest performance. Although the research shows that financial performance affects the risk of bankruptcy, it also reveals that it is not the sole factor in determining the likelihood of bankruptcy. In this context, the evaluation of financial performance in the insurance industry should be considered as part of a more holistic risk assessment approach.

Patient Characteristics Impacting Adherence to Serial Observation for Vestibular Schwannomas.

To examine patient characteristics that impact serial observation adherence amongvestibular schwannoma (VS) patients. Retrospective chart review. Single tertiary care center. We selected for VS patients from 201 to 2020 who elected for serial observation as initial management. Patients under 18, with previous management, bilateral or intralabyrinthine VS, and neurofibromatosis type 2 were excluded. Demographics, tumor characteristics, and follow-up status were extracted. Single and multiple logistic regression was used to identify patient characteristics impacting follow-up. We identified 507 VS patients who chose serial observation as initial management. Most were female (56.0%), white (73.0%), and married (72.8%). The mean age was 59.3 and most had private insurance (56.4%). Median Charlson Comorbidity Index was 2.00. Mean pure tone audiometry (PTA) average was 41.7 Hz. Average tumor size was 9.04 mm. Of 507 patients, 358 (70.6%) returned for at least one follow-up. On multiple logistic regression analysis, patients with private insurance (odds ratio [OR]: 0.39, confidence interval [CI]: 0.22-0.68; P = .001), racial minority background (OR: 0.54, CI: 0.35-0.83; P = .005), worse PTA averages (OR: 0.99, CI: 0.98-1.00; P = .044), and older age at diagnosis (OR: 0.97, CI: 0.95-1.00; P = .038) were less likely to follow-up. Private health insurance, racial minority background, worse PTA average, and older age were associated with decreased follow-up amongadult VS patients electing serial observation. Patients with these characteristics may require additional support to ensure serial observation adherence.

Abstract 2222: Knowledge of risk factors and symptoms of head and neck cancers among Arab-Americans

Abstract Background: In 2023, approximately 66000 patients with head and neck cancers (HNC) will be diagnosed in the United States (U.S.). There are approximately 3.7 million Arab-Americans living in the U.S., with large concentration in Michigan (MI). For example, Dearborn, MI has the largest percentage of Arab-Americans (40% of people having Arab ancestry). Smoking, alcohol, and human papillomavirus (HPV) are the main causes of HNC. Common symptoms of HNC are lump in the neck/mouth, nonhealing ulcers, dysphagia or odynophagia, and change in voice. Currently, there is a scarcity of research on knowledge of HNC risk factors and symptoms among Arab-Americans. We examined knowledge of risk factors and symptoms of HNC among Arab-Americans residing in MI. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of adult Arab-Americans (≥18 years) conducted between March and July 2023. Survey questions were adapted from the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and offered in English and Arabic depending on respondent preference. Awareness of the symptoms of HNCs were assessed using 14 questions while risk factors were assessed using 10 questions. The questions were in the form of “Do you know that the following can be symptoms/risk factors of HNC?” Respondents selected “yes,” “no,” or “don’t know/not sure” for each answer choice. Results: Of the 295 Arab-Americans survey respondents, the mean age ± SD was 37.9 ± 14.6, and most were female (60.7%), had at least a college degree (57.6%), private health insurance (56.7%), and usual place of receiving care (70.7%). Majority had no history of cigarette use (81.7%) or alcohol use (91.6%). Regarding HNC symptoms knowledge, only 40-50% knew about most common HNC symptoms: nonhealing ulcers (41%), dysphagia or odynophagia (51.4%), and voice changes (48.6%); while 60.6% knew about swelling or lump in neck/throat. About half of respondents knew of persistent mass or lesion on the tongue (53.3%) and bleeding in the mouth or throat (50.3%) as symptoms of HNC. About a third knew these as HNC symptoms: teeth loosening (31.7%), ill-fitting dentures (25.9%), otalgia (37.8%), and nasal obstruction/congestion (34.9%). For HNC risk factors knowledge, tobacco smoking, chewing, and second-hand smoking were the most common recognized risk factors, identified by 78.9%, 72.8% and 66.8%, respectively. However, less than half knew HPV (40.6%) and Epstein-Barr virus (35.4%) as risk factors. Conclusion: While there is higher knowledge about tobacco as a risk factor for HNC, knowledge about HPV as a risk factor is very low. Similarly, knowledge about HNC symptoms is suboptimal in the Arab-American community, which could result in late-stage presentation and thus lower survival. Educational programs designed for this community are needed to help close this gap and improve HNC related health outcomes among culturally and ethnically distinct Arab-Americans. Citation Format: Eric Adjei Boakye, Reem F. Siddiqui, Nada Al-Antary, Marissa Gilbert, Lamis Fakhoury, Milkie Vu, Farzan Siddiqui. Knowledge of risk factors and symptoms of head and neck cancers among Arab-Americans [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2222.