Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded the University of Pittsburgh a Project Grant totaling $649,620 (awarded May 1, 2026; completion April 30, 2031) under the Cancer Cause and Prevention Research program (CFDA 93.393) to conduct research on Medicare Advantage insurance impacts on cancer care access and outcomes. The research will analyze coverage patterns and care quality for beneficiaries with the four most prevalent cancers—breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate—using linked data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Cancer Registry, Medicare claims and encounter data, and Medicare Advantage network information from IDEON, a health analytics firm. This study addresses a significant gap in quasi-experimental evidence regarding how Medicare Advantage plans' limited provider networks may inhibit timely access to specialized cancer centers, including National Cancer Institute–designated cancer centers and American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer–accredited hospitals, relative to traditional fee-for-service Medicare.

The project will generate research products that quantify the relationship between Medicare Advantage enrollment and cancer care outcomes for older adults, who account for 58 percent of new cancer cases nationally. Findings will inform policy and clinical decisions regarding insurance coverage adequacy and care access for Medicare beneficiaries requiring complex, multimodal oncology treatment, contributing to the NCI's mission to identify cancer risks and develop evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies across diverse populations.