How insurance details affect cancer survivors' care
Health Insurance and Disparities: More than Access
This project looks at how different types of health insurance and specific plan rules change cancer survivors' access to care and their out-of-pocket costs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249552 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, the team will link Colorado cancer registry records with the state's all-payer insurance claims to see what care people actually received and what they paid. They will add plan-level details (like cost sharing and networks) and neighborhood data from the census and health services files to understand social and geographic factors. The work focuses on differences by race/ethnicity and by urban versus rural areas to explain persistent disparities despite high insurance coverage. The goal is to identify which insurance features are tied to harder financial burdens or worse access for cancer survivors.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The findings are most relevant to cancer survivors who live in Colorado and have Medicare, Medicaid, employer-based, or direct-purchase insurance plans.
Not a fit: People without a history of cancer or those living outside Colorado are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project's immediate findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to insurance policy changes that reduce financial hardship and improve access to timely cancer care for survivors.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research linking cancer registries with claims has produced useful insights about care and costs, but statewide all-payer claim linkages with plan-level data are still relatively new and less common.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bradley, Cathy J — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Bradley, Cathy J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.