Veterans Affairs Insurance Disparities for Metastatic Lung Cancer in the Hawaiian Islands

INTRODUCTION: The highest concentration of military personnel in the United States is located in Hawaii where occupational exposures, such as to asbestos in the Pacific Fleet shipyards, predispose them to thoracic malignancies. For this reason, Veterans Affairs (VA) insurance outcomes for lung cancer in Hawaii are of interest. METHODS: All cases of lung cancer in the Hawaii Tumor Registry from 2000 to 2015 were evaluated. The selection criterion included evidence of extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC) or metastatic NSCLC. Overall survival was compared using the Kaplan-Meier log-rank method. Univariate analysis and multivariable analysis (MVA) were carried out to understand the variables associated with overall survival. RESULTS: There were 434 cases of ES-SCLC and 2139 cases of metastatic NSCLC identified. VA insurance (median survival [MS], 2 mo), Medicaid (MS, 4 mo), and Medicare (MS, 4 mo) had worse survival (log-rank p < 0.001) than private insurance (MS, 8 mo). In ES-SCLC, VA insurance (hazard ratio [HR], 2.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50–5.01; p = 0.001) and Medicaid (HR, 1.46; 95% CI: 1.04–2.03; p = 0.027) had significantly worse survival compared with private insurance on MVA. VA insurance (HR, 1.84; 95% CI: 1.34–2.53; p < 0.001) and Medicaid (HR, 1.40; 95% CI: 1.20–1.63; p < 0.001) also had worse survival compared with private insurance in metastatic NSCLC on MVA. CONCLUSIONS: VA insurance coverage was associated with dismal survival for metastatic lung cancer that was effectively similar to hospice or supportive care, compelling further investigation to identify reasons for this disparity.