Dentists' participation in capitation and preferred provider organization dental plans.
BACKGROUND
In 1998, the American Dental Association Survey Center conducted a telephone and mail survey of U.S dentists in private practice in an effort to determine the extent of dentists' participation in capitation and preferred provider organization, or PPO, dental plans and the characteristics of dentists who participate in those plans.


METHODS
An initial phone screening survey was conducted with a random sample of 11,550 dentists in private practice. Dentists who indicated that they participated in capitation or PPO dental plans received a follow-up mail survey asking specific questions concerning these two types of dental plans.


RESULTS
Almost one-half of responding dentists indicated that they participated in either capitation or PPO dental plans. However, far more dentists reported participating in PPO dental plans than in capitation dental plans. The majority of participating dentists' patients were reported to be fee-for-service patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Dentists' participation in PPO dental plans generally increased from that indicated in previous surveys, though participation in capitation plans declined. There was some regional and demographic variation in participation in these dental plans, but such differences were not large. Pricing and concerns about quality of care continue to be the primary concerns of nonparticipating dentists.


CONCLUSIONS
Dentists reporting participation in PPO dental plans are becoming more common, but such plans still do not cover the majority of participating dentists' patients. A large percentage of nonparticipating dentists cite pricing and concerns about quality care as reasons for not joining these plans.
Brown
L J
LJ
American Dental Association, Health Policy Resources Center, Chicago, Ill. 60611, USA. brownja@ada.org
Ruesch
J D
JD
D000571:American Dental Association; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003710:Demography; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics; D003815:Dentists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005250:Fees, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007347:Insurance, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D011243:Preferred Provider Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011331:Private Practice; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States