General Health Care Utilization Among Nonelderly Cancer Survivors Before and After Affordable Care Act Implementation: Early Results.

Purpose: The number of nonelderly cancer survivors is expected to grow and so are their health care costs. Many cancer survivors worry about medical bills. This study examined the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the rate of insurance, average annual health care expenditure, and patient care experience among cancer survivors and investigated the patient characteristics that were associated with highly rated care experiences before and after ACA implementation.

Methods: The study is a cross-sectional analysis of adult, nonelderly cancer survivors in the 2011 and 2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey who completed health care experience questionnaires. Percent covered by insurance both before and after the ACA was calculated, including total out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses as a percentage of overall health care expenditure per patient. Regression was performed to determine characteristics associated with patient experience ratings.

Results: Health insurance coverage for cancer survivors was higher in 2016 than in 2011 (98.4% 94.4%; = .006). OOP spending as a percentage of health care expenditure among those with expenses decreased and was most striking in those with no insurance. Privately insured individuals were 3 times as likely to rate their care experience high compared with those with no insurance (odds ratio, 3.31; < .0001). Those with above-average ratings of self-health and with few comorbidities rated their care experiences highly.

Conclusion: After the ACA, OOP costs have decreased for all types of insurance coverage. The association between patient experience and health status warrants additional study to better manage and coordinate the care of such patients.