Association of insurance status among cancer patients and survival outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Health insurance coverage is a critical determinant of cancer care access. However, the association of different insurance statuses affecting survival outcomes remains understudied worldwide. This meta-analysis provides global evidence on the association between insurance status and survival and highlights structural health inequities across national health insurance systems.

Methods

We searched five databases for cohort studies published between 1 January 2000 and 15 July 2025. Random-effect multilevel and traditional meta-analyses were employed to address heterogeneity. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the ROBINS-I method assessed all studies for quality.

Results

We included 37 studies between 2000 and 2025, contributing 219 effect sizes. In the Uni

SUBMITTER: Tian J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12512495 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature