Association of Medicaid Expansion with Pancreatic Cancer Treatment and Outcomes: Evidence from the National Cancer Database

Background: Socioeconomic- and demographic-based disparities exist in the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Medicaid expansion (ME) may have an impact on these disparities. Analyses of patients with PDAC from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were performed to examine the impact of ME on access to treatment and outcomes. Methods: Patients with non-metastatic PDAC diagnosed between 2006 and 2016 were identified. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with curative-intent surgical resection, multimodal therapy, treatment at a high-volume facility (HVF), and survival. Results: The study identified 41,876 patients who met the criteria. Medicaid expansion was independently associated with curative-intent resection (odds ratio [OR] 1.54; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.43–1.67; p < 0.001). In a multivariable analysis, ME was independently associated with multimodal therapy (OR 1.60; 95 % CI 1.44–1.76; p < 0.001) and treatment at an HVF (OR 1.57; 95 % CI 1.42–1.74; p < 0.001). Medicaid expansion was independently associated with improved 30-day mortality (OR 0.49; 95 % CI 0.34–0.79) and 90-day mortality (OR 0.48 95 % CI 0.35–0.59). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that after adjustment for other variables, ME status was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.82; 95 % CI 0.73–0.90; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Medicaid expansion is associated with increased use of care processes that improve outcomes in PDAC, operative outcomes, and overall survival. The study data suggest that ME has helped to improve disparities in PDAC in ME states.