Oncology · Public Health · General Practice · 2 h ago
Higher Cancer Mortality Among American Indian and Alaska Native Medicare Beneficiaries
A cross-sectional Medicare claims analysis from 2016–2023 found higher all-cause mortality and spending among American Indian and Alaska Native beneficiaries with cancer. In 2023, annual mortality was 12.4%, compared with 6.9% in the overall traditional Medicare cancer population; screening and hospice use were also lower.
- Annual all-cause mortality was 12.4% versus 6.9% overall.
- Mean annual spending was $32,775 versus $25,073.
- Breast and colorectal screening uptake was lowest across demographic groups.
- Hospice claims near death were less frequent.
A multiyear cross-sectional study in JAMA Network Open examined cancer prevalence, utilization, spending, and mortality among traditional Medicare beneficiaries using claims from 2016–2023. The 2023 population included 26,867,866 beneficiaries, of whom 123,597 identified as American Indian or Alaska Native. Among this subgroup, 13,291 (10.8%) had a cancer diagnosis, compared with 19.4% of beneficiaries overall.
In 2023, annual all-cause mortality among American Indian and Alaska Native beneficiaries with cancer was 12.4% (1,643 deaths), compared with 6.9% (358,049 deaths) in the overall Medicare cancer population. Mean annual spending was $32,775 versus $25,073, respectively. American Indian and Alaska Native beneficiaries also had elevated rates of renal, hepatocellular, and biliary carcinomas and the lowest annual uptake of breast and colorectal screening across demographic groups.
Hospice claims near death were recorded for 57.2% of American Indian and Alaska Native beneficiaries with cancer included in that analysis, compared with 65.6% overall. These findings highlight disparities relevant to cancer prevention and end-of-life care. However, this observational claims analysis cannot establish why the differences occurred, and all-cause mortality is not cancer-specific mortality. The supplied abstract does not report adjusted comparisons; full text was unavailable for assessment.
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JAMA Network Open: Outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native Populations With Cancer in Traditional Medicare ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.