 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Tracy L Finlayson, BS, Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, School of Public Health-II, 109 S. Observatory, M2515, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, 734-936-9803, tfinlays@umich.edu and Stephen A Eklund, DDS, DrPH, Dental Public Health, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Rm 3012 School of Public Health-I, 109 S. Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029.
Background: “Healthy Kids Dental” (HKD) is one component of the Michigan demonstration program to improve Medicaid children’s access to dental services. HKD is administered through the Delta Dental Plan of Michigan in 37 select counties and reimburses providers at customary rates.
Objective: To examine changes in children’s dental care utilization patterns by county one year before and one year after implementing HKD, as well as to investigate relationships between county-level demographic and dental care access-related characteristics and utilization by county during eight-months after HKD began.
Methods: Medicaid and Delta insurance claim and eligibility data were analyzed using logistic regression techniques. Additional analyses included Area Resource File and Michigan Primary Health Care Profile data. The main outcome measures were the proportion of Medicaid-enrolled children obtaining dental care per month in each county and the unduplicated proportion in each county visiting a dentist at least once during the eight-month study period.
Results: Seeing a dentist became significantly positively associated with residing in a HKD county in all but one of the months following the implementation of HKD (p= <0.0001-0.0005). In the eight-month period, the proportion seeing a dentist at least once was 230% higher in HKD counties than in non-HKD counties (p<0.0001). Some county characteristics were associated with utilization trends of different age groups.
Conclusion: Access to care was significantly improved in HKD counties.
Learning Objectives: 1. Articulate the components of an innovative policy to increase Medicaid children’s access to dental care. 2. Identify county-level characteristics associated with children’s dental care use.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Access to Health Care, Oral Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.