Linkage of Medicaid Enrollment Information to Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Data
Condition: Neoplasm; Health Services Accessibility; Outcome Assessment; Healthcare Disparities
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Background:

      The SEER database collects data about people with cancer. SEER stands for Surveillance,
      Epidemiology, and End Results. Medicaid is a kind of health insurance. It is for people who
      have low income or serious medical needs. Many studies have shown that Medicaid recipients
      with cancer are more likely to be diagnosed later in the disease than people with other
      insurance. They are also less likely to get treatment. Researchers want to compare Medicaid
      data and SEER data. They want to make this available to other scientists.

      Objectives:

      To link people in the SEER database to Medicaid data for the years around their cancer
      diagnosis. To create a file that contains SEER case numbers linked to Medicaid numbers.

      Eligibility:

      No people are enrolled in this study.

      Design:

      The SEER finder file will be securely uploaded to the CMS Data Center.

      The finder file will be matched against the Medicaid Personal Summary file at the CMS Data
      Center.

      If participants appear in both the SEER file and Medicaid file, their data will be extracted.

      The dates of Medicaid data will be compared with the SEER date of diagnosis. Researchers will
      see if the Medicaid dates fall in certain periods. These are 12 months before, the month of,
      and 11 months after diagnosis.

      If participants are eligible for Medicaid for these periods, a flag will be created in the
      file. It will note the participants is eligible and why.

      The SEER finder file will be destroyed.

      The only data saved will be:

      Each participant's unique random SEER case number linked to their Medicaid number

      Monthly flags about Medicaid eligibility
    

Detailed description: 
      Numerous studies have demonstrated that Medicaid recipients with cancer are more likely to be
      diagnosed at an advance stage and less likely to receive recommended treatment than are
      patients with other types of health insurance. The objective of this project is to link
      persons included in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data to Medicaid
      enrollment information during the year before and after their cancer diagnosis. NCI is also
      seeking permission to create and maintain a file that crosswalks each patient's SEER case
      number to their Medicaid enrollment number. Information about Medicaid enrollment would be
      available by special request to all researchers who want to use SEER data to assess the
      impact of Medicaid enrollment on stage and treatment.
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Retrospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Medicaid beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer living in the SEER cancer registry catchment
        areas.
      
Keywords: SEER; Medicaid; Cancer; Health Services Research; Epidemiology