title: Dental Care Presents The Highest Level Of Financial Barriers, Compared To Other Types Of Health Care Services.
abstract: The Affordable Care Act is improving access to and the affordability of a wide range of health care services. While dental care for children is part of the law's essential health benefits and state Medicaid programs must cover it, coverage of dental care for adults is not guaranteed. As a result, even with the recent health insurance expansion, many Americans face financial barriers to receiving dental care that lead to unmet oral health needs. Using data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey, we analyzed financial barriers to a wide range of health care services. We found that irrespective of age, income level, and type of insurance, more people reported financial barriers to receiving dental care, compared to any other type of health care. We discuss policy options to address financial barriers to dental care, particularly for adults.
authors.affiliation: Marko Vujicic (vujicicm@ada.org) is the chief economist at and vice president of the Health Policy Institute, American Dental Association, in Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vujicic
authors.affiliation: Thomas Buchmueller is the Waldo O. Hildebrand Professor of Risk Management and Insurance in the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buchmueller
authors.affiliation: Rachel Klein was director of organizational strategy for Families USA, in Washington, D.C., at the time of this writing.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006291:Health Policy; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States
keywords: Cost of Health Care; Financing Health Care; Insurance Coverage < Insurance; Oral Health Care