Trends in Medicaid beneficiaries' receipt of breast reconstruction procedures following Pre-Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion in New York State

Abstract Background Expanding eligibility will increase the demand for surgical services within Medicaid but little is known of the response to such increase in demand. We examined how much of the increased demand for breast reconstruction was met after expansion of Medicaid eligibility. Methods We used New York state databases from 1998 to 2006 and a population of non-elderly adults (19–64) who underwent breast cancer treatment and reconstructive procedures. We used an Interrupted Time-Series design to examine the association between Medicaid expansion in 2001 and changes in the percentages of treatment and reconstructive procedures covered by Medicaid. Results After expansion, there was an increase of 9.6% in the percentage of treatment procedures covered by Medicaid (added demand for breast reconstruction). However, there was a 6.8% increase in the percentage of reconstructive procedures covered by Medicaid. Conclusions The smaller increase in Medicaid percentage of reconstructive procedures suggests that the added demand for reconstruction was not met.