PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Out-of-pocket medical costs are substantial and rising for privately insured men with abnormal prostate cancer screening results who require further diagnostic testing

The findings align with a recent American Cancer Society statement urging payers to eliminate costs that may keep patients from undergoing diagnostic tests following prostate cancer screening.

2024-07-15
(Press-News.org) Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening aims to identify men who may harbor potentially lethal prostate cancer, and those with high PSA results often require more extensive (and expensive) diagnostic testing to establish a diagnosis. New research reveals that the out-of-pocket costs for such additional tests are substantial, common, and rising. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Abnormal screening tests (i.e., elevated PSA) warrant additional testing involving magnetic resonance imaging and/or prostate biopsies. High out-of-pocket costs for these tests—including copayment, coinsurance, and deductibles—may not only place a substantial burden on patients, but also may deter patients from going through with recommended screening.

To investigate the extent of such financial burdens, researchers analyzed information on 3,075,841 US privately insured men ages 55–69 years old who underwent PSA screening in 2010–2020. Among these men, 91,850 had a second PSA test and an elevated PSA, of which 40,329 (43.9%) underwent subsequent diagnostic testing.

Among the men who underwent subsequent testing, more than 75% experienced out-of-pocket costs. The median out-of-pocket costs rose substantially over the years of the study for patients undergoing biopsy only ($79 to $214), imaging only ($81 to $490), and imaging plus biopsy ($353 to $620).

In 2023, the American Cancer Society published a statement asserting that cancer screening is a multistep process, stressing that payers must eliminate out-of-pocket costs for all necessary diagnostic tests. “In the context of prostate cancer, this means that insurance companies should provide full coverage for imaging, prostate biopsy, and other recommended testing, if indicated by an abnormal prostate cancer screening test,” said lead author Arnav Srivastava, MD, MPH, of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. “We have seen this strategy successfully implemented in colorectal cancer screening, as part of a new addition to the Affordable Care Act. Thus, we recommend that policymakers and insurance companies offer full coverage for testing throughout the screening pathway and eliminate cost-sharing for patients.”

This study was led by Dr. Arnav Srivastava, Ms. Anca Tilea, Dr. David D. Kim, Dr. Vanessa K. Dalton, and Dr. A. Mark Fendrick.

 

Additional information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the CANCER Newsroom upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com

Full Citation:
“Out-of-Pocket Costs for Diagnostic Testing Following Abnormal Prostate Cancer Screening Among Privately Insured Men.” Arnav Srivastava, Anca Tilea, David D. Kim, Vanessa K. Dalton, and A. Mark Fendrick. CANCER; Published Online: July 15, 2024 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35392) 

URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.35392

Author Contact: Kara Gavin at kegavin@med.umich.edu

About the Journal 
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online. Follow CANCER on X @JournalCancer and Instagram @ACSJournalCancer, and stay up to date with the American Cancer Society Journals on LinkedIn.

About Wiley      
Wiley is a knowledge company and a global leader in research, publishing, and knowledge solutions. Dedicated to the creation and application of knowledge, Wiley serves the world’s researchers, learners, innovators, and leaders, helping them achieve their goals and solve the world's most important challenges. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

A new method for sustainable synthesis of acetylene from carbon dioxide

A new method for sustainable synthesis of acetylene from carbon dioxide
2024-07-15
Since its discovery, in 1836, acetylene has emerged as an essential chemical compound in industry, widely used as a chemical building block and fuel. It has applications in the raw material for resins, such as vinyl chloride, welding gas, and illumination. Recent developments aimed at reducing the dependence on petroleum feedstocks have shown that acetylene is a promising platform molecule for producing various base chemicals. Additionally, polyacetylene, a crucial semiconducting material, is made from acetylene. Currently, acetylene is mainly produced through two methods: ...

Localization of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis is a step forward!

Localization of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis is a step forward!
2024-07-15
A research team led by Dr. Sung Mook Choi of the Korea Institute of Materials Science, a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has developed a one-step electrode fabrication process for the first time in South Korea. This process produces electrodes, a key component of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis, directly from raw materials to a mass-producible level. The team successfully applied this process to a commercial-scale stack of anion exchange membrane water ...

Atomically controlled MXenes enable cost-effective green hydrogen production

Atomically controlled MXenes enable cost-effective green hydrogen production
2024-07-15
137 countries around the world have signed a "net-zero" climate change agreement to end fossil fuel use and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. Hydrogen is being touted as the next green energy source because it emits only water and oxygen when utilized as an energy source. Hydrogen production methods are divided into gray hydrogen, blue hydrogen, and green hydrogen depending on the energy source and carbon emissions. Among them, green hydrogen production method is the most eco-friendly method that produces hydrogen without carbon emissions by electrolyzing water using green energy. A research team led by Dr. ...

Survey finds most americans believe pain and urinary leakage is normal for women after having children

Survey finds most americans believe pain and urinary leakage is normal for women after having children
2024-07-15
Orlando, Fla - A new national survey by the Orlando Health Advanced Rehabilitation Institute finds most Americans believe it’s normal for women to experience pain, pressure and incontinence after having children. But experts say these are actually signs of pelvic floor issues, and while they are extremely common, affecting about a third of women, they are not normal.  “When we say it's not normal, what we mean is it's not something you should have to live with. It's something ...

Opioid prescribing to reduce overdoses, misuse

2024-07-15
New research aims to help reduce the quantity of unused prescription opioids after emergency department visits and lessen the risk of opioid misuse and overdose. The study is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.231640. VIEW EMBARGOED ARTICLE Overprescribing is linked to opioid misuse and overdose, with household supplies of opioids associated with an increased risk of overdose, as many people do not dispose of unused medications safely. In Canada, ...

Health research on South Asian communities must be led by South Asians

2024-07-15
Funding agencies in Canada need to review their policies for evaluating research proposals to ensure that South Asian research is conducted by South Asians, write authors in a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.231189 VIEW EMBARGOED ARTICLE Much of the health research conducted in Canada on South Asian diaspora communities has historically been marked by unequal power relations, rather than meaningfully engaging and benefitting these communities. As the largest and fastest growing diverse ...

Big boost for new epigenetics paradigm: CoRSIVs, first discovered in humans, now found in cattle

2024-07-15
A study published in Genome Biology opens new possibilities to improve production efficiency in the cattle industry and potentially animal agriculture more broadly. A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Cornell University and the USDA discovered that, like humans, cattle have CoRSIVs. CoRSIVs are regions of the genome carrying chemical markers on the DNA that provide information that may allow farmers to predict and select desirable cattle characteristics, such as milk production, female fertility and resistance to disease. “Most people know that each person ...

Cancer is the biggest health concern among the public, poll reveals

2024-07-15
Late detection biggest worry in relation to cancer diagnosis, with 55% of people wanting to see future advances in early cancer detection Public overwhelmingly support use of AI to tackle cancer 43% of people recognise major impact universities can have on reducing deaths from cancer Cambridge University partnering with NHS to build revolutionary new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital Two-thirds of the public say they are very or somewhat worried about being told they have the disease – higher than ...

Doctors suffering burnout need compassion not blame, says top GP

2024-07-15
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff suffering burnout should be shown compassion and not blamed for being unwell, according to a leading GP. Clare Gerada says employers often treat physicians as ‘naughty schoolchildren’ when they go sick or suffer mental health problems. Professor Dame Gerada, past president of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), is calling for more comprehensive guidance that focuses on ‘kindness’ and ‘sensitivity’. The doctor, who helped found mental health charity, Doctors in Distress, addresses the need for major reform in a new book aimed at reforming care for doctors and nurses ...

Study on post-COVID-19 condition: Which factors have an impact on the risk

2024-07-14
Early on during the coronavirus pandemic, there were reports of cases of persistent post-infection symptoms. The World Health Organization (WHO) refers to such new or persistent symptoms twelve weeks after a corona infection that cannot be explained by other causes as a post-COVID-19 condition. In a recent study, scientists led by the University Medicine Halle evaluated the information from 109,707 participants in the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) on their self-reported health status with respect to post-infection symptoms. The survey took place in autumn 2022, in retrospect of the pandemic.  At the time of the survey, more than 80 percent of respondents had ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Optical biosensor rapidly detects monkeypox virus

New drug targets for Alzheimer’s identified from cerebrospinal fluid

Neuro-oncology experts reveal how to use AI to improve brain cancer diagnosis, monitoring, treatment

Argonne to explore novel ways to fight cancer and transform vaccine discovery with over $21 million from ARPA-H

Firefighters exposed to chemicals linked with breast cancer

Addressing the rural mental health crisis via telehealth

Standardized autism screening during pediatric well visits identified more, younger children with high likelihood for autism diagnosis

Researchers shed light on skin tone bias in breast cancer imaging

Study finds humidity diminishes daytime cooling gains in urban green spaces

Tennessee RiverLine secures $500,000 Appalachian Regional Commission Grant for river experience planning and design standards

AI tool ‘sees’ cancer gene signatures in biopsy images

Answer ALS releases world's largest ALS patient-based iPSC and bio data repository

2024 Joseph A. Johnson Award Goes to Johns Hopkins University Assistant Professor Danielle Speller

Slow editing of protein blueprints leads to cell death

Industrial air pollution triggers ice formation in clouds, reducing cloud cover and boosting snowfall

Emerging alternatives to reduce animal testing show promise

Presenting Evo – a model for decoding and designing genetic sequences

Global plastic waste set to double by 2050, but new study offers blueprint for significant reductions

Industrial snow: Factories trigger local snowfall by freezing clouds

Backyard birds learn from their new neighbors when moving house

New study in Science finds that just four global policies could eliminate more than 90% of plastic waste and 30% of linked carbon emissions by 2050

Breakthrough in capturing 'hot' CO2 from industrial exhaust

New discovery enables gene therapy for muscular dystrophies, other disorders

Anti-anxiety and hallucination-like effects of psychedelics mediated by distinct neural circuits

How do microbiomes influence the study of life?

Plant roots change their growth pattern during ‘puberty’

Study outlines key role of national and EU policy to control emissions from German hydrogen economy

Beloved Disney classics convey an idealized image of fatherhood

Sensitive ceramics for soft robotics

Trends in hospitalizations and liver transplants associated with alcohol-induced liver disease

[Press-News.org] Out-of-pocket medical costs are substantial and rising for privately insured men with abnormal prostate cancer screening results who require further diagnostic testing
The findings align with a recent American Cancer Society statement urging payers to eliminate costs that may keep patients from undergoing diagnostic tests following prostate cancer screening.