Assessing the effectiveness of Medicaid in breast and cervical cancer prevention.

Most previous studies comparing stage of cancer at diagnosis between Medicaid and non-Medicaid populations have not accounted for the patient's timing of enrollment in the Medicaid program in relation to the initial date of cancer diagnosis. Findings from this study indicate that Medicaid beneficiaries having enrolled in the program at least 3 months before breast or cervical cancer diagnosis are significantly less likely to be seen with distant metastases on diagnosis than those enrolling in the Medicaid program shortly before, on, or after cancer diagnosis. Although these results reflect positively on the effectiveness of the Medicaid program in cancer prevention, they also provide support to further enhance cancer-screening efforts in the Medicaid population.