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Do Medicaid benefit expansions have teeth? The effect of Medicaid adult dental coverage on the use of dental services and oral health

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  • Decker, Sandra L.
  • Lipton, Brandy J.

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Decker, Sandra L. & Lipton, Brandy J., 2015. "Do Medicaid benefit expansions have teeth? The effect of Medicaid adult dental coverage on the use of dental services and oral health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 212-225.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:44:y:2015:i:c:p:212-225
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2015.08.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Thomas C. Buchmueller & Sean Orzol & Lara D. Shore-Sheppard, 2015. "The Effect of Medicaid Payment Rates on Access to Dental Care among Children," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(2), pages 194-223, Spring.
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    7. Choi, Moonkyung Kate, 2011. "The impact of Medicaid insurance coverage on dental service use," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 1020-1031.
    8. Wallace, N.T. & Carlson, M.J. & Mosen, D.M. & Snyder, J.J. & Wright, B.J., 2011. "The individual and program impacts of eliminating medicaid dental benefits in the oregon health plan," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(11), pages 2144-2150.
    9. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "How Much Should We Trust Differences-In-Differences Estimates?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(1), pages 249-275.
    10. Sandra Decker, 2007. "Medicaid physician fees and the quality of medical care of Medicaid patients in the USA," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 95-112, March.
    11. Singhal, Sonica & Correa, Rejane & Quiñonez, Carlos, 2013. "The impact of dental treatment on employment outcomes: A systematic review," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(1), pages 88-96.
    12. Currie, Janet & Decker, Sandra & Lin, Wanchuan, 2008. "Has public health insurance for older children reduced disparities in access to care and health outcomes?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1567-1581, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lipton, Brandy, 2019. "Adult Medicaid Benefit Generosity and Receipt of Recommended Health Services among Low-Income Children: The Spillover Effects of Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Expansions," MPRA Paper 93248, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Minsung Sohn & Sujin Park & Sungwon Lim & Hee-Jung Park, 2019. "Children’s Dental Sealant Use and Caries Prevalence Affected by National Health Insurance Policy Change: Evidence from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2015)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-12, August.
    3. Jie Chen & Chad D. Meyerhoefer & Edward J. Timmons, 2024. "The effects of dental hygienist autonomy on dental care utilization," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(8), pages 1726-1747, August.
    4. Michael R. Richards & Coady Wing, 2019. "Recruiting and retaining dental labor in federal facilities: Harder than pulling teeth?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(11), pages 1356-1369, November.
    5. Huh, Jason, 2021. "Medicaid and provider supply," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    6. Ghosh, Ausmita & Simon, Kosali & Sommers, Benjamin D., 2019. "The Effect of Health Insurance on Prescription Drug Use Among Low-Income Adults:Evidence from Recent Medicaid Expansions," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 64-80.
    7. Shooshan Danagoulian & Thomas A. Wilk, 2022. "Locking out prevention: Dental care in the midst of a pandemic," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(9), pages 1973-1992, September.
    8. Xia, Xing, 2021. "Barrier to Entry or Signal of Quality? The Effects of Occupational Licensing on Minority Dental Assistants," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    9. Lipton, Brandy J., 2021. "Adult Medicaid benefit generosity and receipt of recommended health services among low-income children: The spillover effects of Medicaid adult dental coverage expansions," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    10. Chad D. Meyerhoefer & Samuel H. Zuvekas & Bita Fayaz Farkhad & John F. Moeller & Richard J. Manski, 2019. "The demand for preventive and restorative dental services among older adults," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(9), pages 1151-1158, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    I11 ; I13; I18; Medicaid; Health insurance expansions; Oral health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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