Health Insurance Mandates, Mammography, and Breast Cancer Diagnoses.

ABSTRACT: We examine the effects of state health insurance mandates requiring coverage of screening mammograms. We find evidence that mammography mandates significantly increased mammography screenings by 4.5-25 percent. Effects are larger for women with less than a high school degree in states that ban deductibles, a policy similar to a provision of federal health reform that eliminates cost-sharing for preventive care. We also find that mandates increased detection of early stage in-situ pre-cancers. Finally, we find a substantial proportion of the increased screenings were attributable to mandates that are not consistent with current recommendations of the American Cancer Society.

SUBMITTER: Bitler MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5844506 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature