Cancer Screening Rates Influenced by Medicaid Reimbursement

In states where Medicaid pays doctors higher fees for office visits, Medicaid beneficiaries are more likely to be screened for breast, cervical or colorectal cancer, according to a new study.

"States tend to vary in their reimbursement rates for different types of medical care services; some states may have low reimbursements for certain services and higher reimbursements for others," said lead author Dr. Michael T. Halpern of the Division of Health Services and Social Policy Research at RTI International at Washington, D.C.

Medicaid, a health insurance program for low-income individuals, is jointly funded by the federal government and the individual states. Each state establishes its own coverage and reimbursement policies.

Unexpectedly, states' reimbursement rates for specific screening tests weren't always associated with an increase in screening rates, Halpern and his team found.

Read the complete report here: http://bsun.md/1tUGH8A

Source: The Baltimore Sun