How California can break down barriers to breast cancer treatment

More than 29,000 women in California will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. Many of them — especially low-income women, who suffer the worst survival rates — will face economic, emotional and structural obstacles to getting treatment and follow-up care.“Breast cancer is one of the most common diseases, so why is it still so hard for women to get adequate care?” asked Ninez Ponce, associate director of theUCLA Center for Health Policy Research and co-author of atwo-year study of breast cancer barriers in California.  “Women who face the hardship of illness should not also have to face the additional hardship of not being able to find a doctor, or inadequate health coverage or time limits on treatment.”New fact sheets based on the previously released study recommend that California policymakers address three main issues that are preventing women from receiving life-saving, life-extending treatment for breast cancer.1. Limitations to public health careThe study found low-income women covered by Medi-Cal and other public health programs,face the biggest hurdles to getting care. Medi-Cal ’s provider networks include fewer cancer doctors: While 60 percent of specialists say they will take new Medi-Cal patients with breast cancer, only 42 percent actually do. The Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program, a program for eligible low-income Californians, also restricts the amount o f time doctors can spend treating a breast cancer patient. As a result, low-in...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news