Statewide Medicaid Expansion and Survival in Resectable Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Did expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act improve survival for patients with resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)?In this cohort study of 53 842 patients with NSCLC, statewide Medicaid expansion status was associated with increased 2-year survival in states that expanded coverage in 2014 or earlier and increased 4-year survival for all Medicaid expansion groups. A time lag for mortality differences was observed after policy implementation, but there was no corresponding increase in early-stage diagnoses after Medicaid expansion.These findings suggest that Medicaid expansion was associated with decreased mortality hazards for patients diagnosed with resectable NSCLC, underscoring the critical role health policy plays in cancer outcomes.

Corresponding Author: Rohin Gawdi, MD, Department of Surgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 270-05 76th Ave, New Hyde Park, NY 11040 (rohin.gawdi@gmail.com).

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