A new study reported in the The New York Times shows that there has been a significant increase in women under the age of 26 who have received a diagnosis of early-stage cervical cancer, a pattern that they say is most likely an effect of the Affordable Care Act.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society cross-referenced a hospital registry with 70% of all cancer cases in the US and they compared diagnoses for young women who had cervical cancer before and after the ACA went into effect in 2010. Age 26 was an important threshold identified in the study because the ACA created a provision that allows dependents to stay on their parents’ health insurance until age 26. After the law began, early-stage diagnoses rose significantly among group covered by the law.
While it’s not proof of a direct correlation, the size of the database and the dramatic improvement in diagnosis led the researches to the conclusion that the law was having a strong impact. “It’s a very remarkable finding, actually,” said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, one of the researchers. “You see the effect of the A.C.A. on the cancer outcomes.”
The rise in early cervical cancer detection is linked to the Affordable Care Act https://t.co/YJEBSX5H9m @stavernise pic.twitter.com/ZK6T4iLNb3
— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) November 24, 2015