Medicaid Expansion Linked to Improved Breast Cancer Survival Rates

Results of a new study published in JAMA Network Open¹ show that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is associated with meaningfully improved survival outcomes for women with breast cancer, including those with triple-negative breast cancer, which is one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.

The research was led by Oluwasegun Akinyemi, MD, PhD, a senior research fellow at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC. His path to health policy research began during his years as an obstetrician-gynecologist in Nigeria. There, he repeatedly witnessed women arriving at clinics and hospitals with late-stage cancers that had progressed beyond effective treatment. That experience pushed him to shift his focus from individual patient care to the systemic forces shaping population health. Akinyemi recently spoke with Targeted Oncology about his experiences and the study results.

Prior studies had measured ACA success primarily through insurance enrollment numbers, but Akinyemi set out to examine whether expanded coverage actually translated into lives saved and whether those gains held up over time. His findings were clear: Not only did Medicaid expansion improve survival, but those benefits proved durable across an extended follow-up period.

The study also revealed notable differences in how various groups benefited. Hispanic women, who had the highest rates of being uninsured, experienced the greatest gains. White women also saw significant improvements. Non-Hispanic Black women benefited as well, though to a lesser degree, a disparity Akinyemi attributes largely to the fact that a disproportionate share of Black women live in states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion, limiting their access to these protections.

Akinyemi views his findings as a direct message to policy makers at a time when the future of the ACA remains uncertain. The evidence, he argues, is unambiguous: Expanding insurance access reduces cancer mortality across all racial groups and income levels. His work is intended to serve as a lasting record should these policies ever need to be revisited or restored.

Reference

Akinyemi O, Oyebanji O, Fasokun M, et al. Medicaid expansion and overall mortality among women with breast cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(1):e2554512. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.54512