Health Insurance Coverage Mandates: Colorectal Cancer Screening in the Post-ACA Era

This study examined the impact of health insurance mandates on colorectal cancer screening rates in the post-Affordable Care Act (ACA) era, using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the NCI State Cancer Legislative Database from 1997 to 2014. The analysis focused on U.S. adults aged 50 to 74 and employed a difference-in-differences approach to assess the effects of these mandates. The findings indicated that health insurance mandates increased the probability of up-to-date screenings by 2.8 percentage points, potentially leading to 2.37 million additional screenings. The study concluded that mandates reducing out-of-pocket expenses effectively increased colorectal cancer screenings, suggesting that future health care reforms could further enhance access to preventive services and improve public health outcomes.