Barriers to timely screening colonoscopy: the role of health insurance
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Published on: August 1, 2019
1Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA.
Objective:
To explore the disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening based on health insurance status.
Method:
We reviewed 382 medical records of asymptomatic patients aged 50-80 years, who completed their screening colonoscopies between January 2000 and May 2007. Medical records were abstracted from a private primary-care clinic and a university hospital primary-care clinic. Patients with private or public health insurance were included. General linear model and t-test were performed for statistical analysis.
Results:
We found that the average waiting time for screening colonoscopy among privately insured patients was significantly lower than for publicly insured patients (33 vs 200 days; P < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in gender or age between the two groups.
Conclusion:
There is an urgent need for state-wide health-care policy reform to help reduce some of the observed causes of health-care disparities based on the insurance status of individuals.
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