Objective: Examine disparities in routine mammography for women who qualify for Medicaid, because of a work-limiting disability.

Methods: Individual-level data were obtained for women enrolled in Massachusetts Medicaid Managed Care plans who met the 2007 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) criteria for the breast cancer screening measure (n=35,171). Disability status was determined from Medicaid eligibility records. Mammography screening was modeled using multivariate logistic regression. Separate models for women with and without a disability were also estimated.

Results: Although unadjusted breast cancer screening rates were roughly equal for women with and without disability, after adjusting for confounders disability status had a significant negative association with screening mammography (OR=0.74; p

Conclusion: Nationwide, rates of routine mammography for Medicaid managed care plans averaged below 50% in 2006. Given that a majority of eligible women served by Medicaid have disabilities, and studies have shown that women with disabilities are more likely to be diagnosed with late stage disease, a focus on improving rates of screening for women with disabilities is overdue.