title: A Research Note on Transitions in Out-of-Pocket Spending on Dental Services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We analyze correlates of the direction and magnitude of changes in out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for dental care by older Americans over a recent 4-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from the 2006 and 2008 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. We estimated multinomial logistic models of the direction and linear regression models of the amounts of OOP changes over survey periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Financial-based factors were more strongly associated with the direction and magnitude of changing self-payments for dental care than were health factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggested that dental coverage, income, and wealth and changes in these financial factors were more strongly correlated with the persistence of and changes in OOP payments for dental care over time than were health status and changes in health status. The sensitivity to dental coverage changes should be considered as insurance and retirement policy reforms are deliberated.
authors: Dental Public Health, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA rmanski@umaryland.edu.
authors: Richard J
authors: RJ
authors: Manski
authors: Dental Public Health, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors: John F
authors: JF
authors: Moeller
authors: Dental Public Health, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors: Haiyan
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Washington, VA, USA.
authors: Jody Schimmel
authors: JS
authors: Hyde
authors: Department of Economics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
authors: John V
authors: JV
authors: Pepper
authors: RAND Corporation, Center for the Study of Aging, Santa Monica, CA, USA University of Southern California, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: Patricia A
authors: PA
authors: St Clair
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: coverage; dental insurance; dental use; self-payments
references: J Public Health Dent. 2014 Winter;74(1):1-12
references: 22994647
references: J Public Health Dent. 2010 Spring;70(2):148-55
references: 20002876
references: J Public Health Dent. 2012 Summer;72(3):179-89
references: 22515635
references: J Health Soc Behav. 1995 Mar;36(1):1-10
references: 7738325
references: J Public Health Dent. 2010 Winter;70(1):1-12
references: 19694939