Wade Swenson, Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at Rural Cancer Institute, Professor of Internal Medicine at Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, Presidential Leadership Scholar, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“New research from our team at the Rural Cancer Institute, published in Discover Public Health:
Rural adults with a history of cancer are 2.25 times more likely than their cancer-free neighbors to say that available insurance plans simply don’t meet their needs as a reason for being uninsured.
Led by Ingrid J., with Emily McGovern, we analyzed 5 years of National Health Interview Survey data (2020-2024) on uninsured rural working-age adults (18-64), comparing those with and without a history of cancer.
Key findings:
- Cost remains the top barrier for everyone, regardless of cancer history (55-60%)
- But cancer survivors are significantly more likely to say existing plans don’t fit their needs, likely reflecting the complexity of oncology care: multiple specialists, travel to tertiary centers, ongoing imaging, and treatment that doesn’t fit neatly into narrow networks or high-deductible plans
Rural insurance markets already have fewer plan options and narrower networks than urban markets. For cancer patients who need access to subspecialists and tertiary care, that gap isn’t just inconvenient. It can mean delayed treatment, and delay costs lives.
Your zip code should not determine whether your insurance plan can actually serve your diagnosis.”
Title: Reasons for uninsurance among rural working-age U.S. adults with histories of cancer
Authors: Ingrid Jacobson, Wade Swenson, Emily McGovern
Read the Full Article.
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