Trends in Medicaid Cancer Screening in the COVID-19 Pandemc & Identification of Best Practices

New Jersey is ranked in the top ten nationally for cancer incidence. Among the most prevalent in New Jersey are cancers that are detectable by screening, including colorectal and lung cancer for both males and females and breast and cervical cancer for females. With Medicaid’s role as a cornerstone of insurance coverage throughout New Jersey, it is critical to ensure access to and utilization of recommended preventive care, including life- and cost-saving cancer screenings. The goals of this mixed methods study are to produce and disseminate actionable evidence on: 1) the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer screening among New Jersey Medicaid recipients, and 2) best practice strategies to improve cancer screening among New Jersey Medicaid beneficiaries overall and in times of public health emergencies. The study will use comprehensive, longitudinal New Jersey Medicaid enrollment, claims and encounter data from 2011-2021 augmented with qualitative interviews with provider organizations. The project is led by a multidisciplinary team from the Center for State Health Policy in collaboration with colleagues from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and investigators from Princeton University and the University of Southern California.