Access to and Delivery of High-Quality Cancer Care

Cost of cancer care will exceed $245 billion by 2030 in the United States.1 The aging population faces a greater risk of cancer, and these patients increasingly access the privatized Medicare Advantage (MA) program vs the government-sponsored traditional Medicare (TM) program.1 Maganty et al2 examined the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data (2016-2022) for 10 oncologic resections (including those for common cancers: colon, bladder, kidney, prostate, pancreas). They found that MA beneficiaries were less likely to undergo resection at high-quality hospitals, raising concern that MA may limit access to the optimal cancer surgery.