title: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations and cancer screening among female Medicare beneficiaries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medicare covers several cancer screening tests not currently recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force). In September 2002, the Task Force relaxed the upper age limit of 70 years for breast cancer screening recommendations, and in March 2003 an upper age limit of 65 years was introduced for cervical cancer screening recommendations. We assessed whether mammogram and Pap test utilization among women with Medicare coverage is influenced by changes in the Task Force's recommendations for screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified female Medicare beneficiaries aged 66-80 years and used bivariate probit regression to examine the receipt of breast (mammogram) and cervical (Pap test) cancer screening reflecting changes in the Task Force recommendations. We analyzed 9,760 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey responses from 2001 to 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than two-thirds reported receiving a mammogram and more than one-third a Pap test in the previous 2 years. Lack of recommendation was given as a reason for not getting screened among the majority (51% for mammogram and 75% for Pap). After controlling for beneficiary-level socioeconomic characteristics and access to care factors, we did not observe a significant change in breast and cervical cancer screening patterns following the changes in Task Force recommendations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there is evidence that many Medicare beneficiaries adhere to screening guidelines, some women may be receiving non-recommended screening services covered by Medicare.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Health Services Policy and Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina , Columbia, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Ramzi G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Salloum
authors.forename: Racquel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.forename: Gail A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Stacey L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: Andrea K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Biddle
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006278:Medicare; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*