Background:
Lower rates for breast cancer screening persists among low income and uninsured women despite the proven mortality benefit. This study explores the amount of money that hospitalized women, most of whom were low income and at high risk for breast cancer, were willing‐to‐pay to offset the cost of inpatient screening mammogram using the contingent value method.
Methods:
A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the perspectives of 250 hospitalized women, aged 50‐75 years, about their willingness to contribute and the acceptable out of pocket expense to have an inpatient screening mammogram. Data was collected at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center from October 2011 through April 2012. Chi square and t‐test statistics were used to identify characteristics of women’s willingness to pay (WTP). Probit regression model assumptions were utilized for the analyses of the data.
Results:
Almost one third of the enrolled women were African American, one third were at high risk for breast cancer (Gail score ≥ 1.7%), and 58% were of low income (<$20,000 annual household income). The mean age of the study population was 61.2 years, and thirty eight percent reported non‐adherence to breast cancer screening (last mammogram >2 years ago). The hospitalized women reported being willing‐to‐pay $84.14 (95% CI 72.56 — 95.74, p= 0.00) towards their breast cancer screening test during hospitalization. After adjustment of the explanatory variable that could potentially influence their WTP, the mean WTP amount didn’t change much $83.41 (95% C.I. $71.51 — 95.31, p= 0.00).
Conclusions:
The study’s findings suggests that hospitalized women value the prospect of inpatient screening mammography as evidenced by their WTP out of pocket for a test that is generally fully covered when performed at outpatient centers. From a policy perspective, one might consider offering screening mammography to ‘non‐adherent’ hospitalized women who are at high risk for breast cancer.