Stalled at the Intersection: Insurance Status and Disparities in Post Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction

Abstract PurposePost-mastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) is an important component of breast cancer treatment, but disparities relative to insurance status persist despite legislation targeting the issue. We aimed to study this relationship in a large health system combining a safety net hospital and a private academic center.MethodsData were collected on all patients who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer from 2011-2019 in a private academic center and an adjacent public safety-net hospital served by same surgical teams. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the effect of insurance status on PMBR, controlling for covariates that included socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical factors.ResultsOf 1,554 patients undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer, 753 (48.5%) underwent PMBR. Out of them, 741 had insurance type recorded, with 592 (79.9%) privately insured patients, 50 (6.7%) Medicare, 68 (9.2%) Medicaid, and 31 (4.2%) uninsured patients. Multivariable logistic regression showed a significantly lower likelihood of undergoing PMBR for uninsured (OR 6.9, 95% CI: 4.1-11.7; p<0.0001), Medicare (OR 2.0, (5% CI: 1.2-3.3; p=0.004), and Medicaid (OR 1.7, 95% CI:1.1-2.7; p=0.02) patients, compared with privately insured patients. Age, stage, race, and hospital type confounded this relationship.ConclusionPatients without health insurance have dramatically reduced access to PMBR compared to those with private insurance. Expanding access to this important procedure is essential to achieve greater health equity for breast cancer patients.