Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111746

T. Hope McGonigle, PhD, Ohio Medicaid, Bureau of Health Plan Policy, Ohio Health Plans, 30 E. Broad St., 27th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215, 614-466-6420, hopemcg@yahoo.com and James Gearheart, Bureau of Health Plan Policy, Ohio Health Plans, 30 E. Broad St., 27th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services conducted a review of its Medicaid dental utilization in order to determine important associated factors statewide, as well as to identify variation within the state. Dental utilization has been steadily increasing in Ohio over the past four fiscal years. The desire was to identify where and with whom these increases were occurring and conversely, where they were not. Initial analyses were done with frequency distributions and dental utilization graphs. A quadrant analysis has helped to identify counties where consumer awareness efforts were needed (large number of dentists, but low utilization) and counties where more dentists needed to be recruited (a few dentists seeing many patients). Following these analyses, a logistic regression model was developed to account for the relationship among multiple variables. Controlling for age, race and sex, being continuously enrolled in Medicaid throughout the year was the strongest predictor of consumer dental utilization. Consumers enrolled in one of Ohio's Medicaid managed care programs were less likely to receive a dental service compared to those enrolled in the fee-for-service program. Consumers who live in a rural area were less likely to receive dental services than those in a metro area, but those in suburban and Appalachian areas did not differ significantly from metro areas.

Learning Objectives:

• - Understand the steps that the state of Ohio has gone through to understand dental utilization
• - Identify how this information informs policy decisions
• -

Keywords: Oral Health, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation