Uninsured women less likely to get cancer screening

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People without health insurance in rural areas are less likely to be up-to-date for routine health check-ups and cancer screening than those with coverage, according to a new study. Cancer screening has been a contentious issue in recent years. Even by government-backed U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) standards, which some consider to be relatively conservative, screening rates for breast and cervical cancer were low in the study. Only about half of women in the Oregon-based research met USPSTF recommendations. …