Working Paper: NBER ID: w13875
Authors: Cathy J. Bradley; David Neumark; Lisa M. Shickle; Nicholas Farrell
Abstract: To explore how well the safety net performs at eliminating differences in diagnosis and treatment of insured and uninsured women with breast cancer, we compared insured and uninsured women treated in a safety net setting. Controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, uninsured women are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease, requiring more extensive treatment relative to insured women, and also experience delays in initiating and completing treatment. The findings suggest that, despite the safety net system, uninsured women with breast cancer are likely to require more costly treatment and to have worse outcomes, relative to insured women with breast cancer.
Keywords: breast cancer; health insurance; safety net; treatment disparities
JEL Codes: I18
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Insurance Status (I13) | Likelihood of being diagnosed with advanced disease (I12) |
| Insurance Status (I13) | Tumor Size > 2 cm (C24) |
| Insurance Status (I13) | Later Stage at Diagnosis (I12) |
| Insurance Status (I13) | Delay in Treatment Initiation (C41) |
| Delay in Treatment Initiation (C41) | Higher Likelihood of Delay of 90 Days or More (C41) |
| Insurance Status (I13) | Delay in Completion of Chemotherapy (C41) |