title: Do Medicaid benefit expansions have teeth? The effect of Medicaid adult dental coverage on the use of dental services and oral health.
abstract: This article examines the effect of Medicaid adult dental coverage on use of dental care and dental health outcomes using state-level variation in dental coverage during 2000-2012. Our findings imply that dental coverage is associated with an increase in the likelihood of a recent dental visit, with the size of the effect increasing with Medicaid payment rates to dentists, and a reduction in the likelihood of untreated dental caries. We are among the first to detect an effect of Medicaid coverage on a clinical health outcome other than mortality. These findings may have implications for states expanding Medicaid coverage to adults with incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty threshold under the Affordable Care Act as most of these states offer an adult dental benefit.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Health Statistics, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, United States.
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.affiliation: National Center for Health Statistics, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, United States. Electronic address: brandy.lipton@ahrq.hhs.gov.
authors.forename: Brandy J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lipton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009909:Oral Health / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States
keywords: Health insurance expansions; I11 , I13, I18; Medicaid; Oral health