Annual colonoscopy rates increase among men when out-of-pocket costs decrease

New research indicates that cost may be an important barrier to colorectal cancer screenings, at least among men, and that changing policies to close the remaining loopholes that would reduce the expected out-of-pocket expenses for all Medicare beneficiaries may improve screening rates. The research, conducted by Health Affairs, also found that annual colonoscopy rates among men ages 66 to 75 years old increased by 4 percent after the Affordable Care Act policy change, and they found some evidence of even larger increases among socioeconomically disadvantaged men. Abstract