Association of the Affordable Care Act With Ovarian Cancer Care

OBJECTIVE: To estimate how implementation of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) might be associated with stage at diagnosis and time to treatment for women with ovarian cancer. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using difference-in-differences analysis comparing stage at diagnosis and time to treatment before and after implementation of the ACA among women with ovarian cancer aged 21-64 years (exposure group) compared with women aged 65 years or older (control group). Using 2004-2015 data from the National Cancer Database, outcomes were analyzed overall and by insurance type and race, adjusting for urban-rural, income and education level, comorbidities, distance traveled for care, region, and care at an academic center. RESULTS: A total of 39,999 ovarian cancer cases prereform and 36,564 postreform were identified for women aged 21-64 years compared with 31,290 cases prereform and 29,807 postreform for women aged 65 years or older. The ACA was associated with increased early-stage diagnosis detection for women aged 21-64 years compared with women 65 and older (difference-in-differences 1.4%, 95% CI 0.4-2.4). The ACA was associated with more women receiving treatment within 30 days of ovarian cancer diagnosis (2.3%, 95% CI 1.7-3.0). Among women with public insurance, the ACA was associated with a significant improvement in early-stage diagnosis and receipt of treatment within 30 days of diagnosis (difference-in-differences 2.7%, 95% CI 1.0-4.5, difference-in-differences 2.5%, 95% CI 1.2-3.8). Improvements in time to treatment were seen across race and income groups. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the ACA was associated with earlier ovarian cancer stage at detection and treatment within 30 days of diagnosis.