IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/hlthec/v31y2022i9p1973-1992.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Locking out prevention: Dental care in the midst of a pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Shooshan Danagoulian
  • Thomas A. Wilk

Abstract

Emergencies, such as natural and manmade disasters, can present an opportunity or be a detriment to preventive healthcare. While stay‐at‐home orders which some states implemented to mitigate the impact of COVID‐19 are known to reduce acute and routine care, little is known about missed preventive care. Dental care, unlike other forms of preventive care ‐ such as pediatric vaccines and well‐visits, is simpler to analyze as it is not practicable with telehealth. Using weekly foot traffic data by SafeGraph from January 2018 to June 2020, we examine the effect of stay‐at‐home orders on visits to dental offices, finding a 15.4% decline after March 2020 for states with stay‐at‐home orders. Surprisingly, we find that states which allowed dental care during the stay‐at‐home period experienced a further 7.4% decline in visits. Using Michigan Medicaid dental claims for children we find that the decline of 0.25 claims per month is driven primarily by fewer diagnostic and preventive care visits. Though some preventive visits were rescheduled, we estimate only 58% of visits missed in March and April 2020 were made up by the end of the year. These estimates quantify the short‐term declines in preventive dental care, suggesting similar declines in other preventive care.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:31:y:2022:i:9:p:1973-1992
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4558
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4558
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/hec.4558?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. Sherry Glied & Matthew Neidell, 2010. "The Economic Value of Teeth," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 45(2).
    3. Andersen, Martin & Bryan, Sylvia & Slusky, David, 2020. "COVID-19 Surgical Abortion Restriction Did Not Reduce Visits to Abortion Clinics," IZA Discussion Papers 13832, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Cantor, Jonathan & Sood, Neeraj & Bravata, Dena M. & Pera, Megan & Whaley, Christopher, 2022. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and policy response on health care utilization: Evidence from county-level medical claims and cellphone data," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Timothy Tyler Brown & Erin Dela Cruz & Stephen Scott Brown, 2011. "The effect of dental care on cardiovascular disease outcomes: an application of instrumental variables in the presence of heterogeneity and self‐selection," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(10), pages 1241-1256, October.
    6. Dhaval Dave & Andrew I. Friedson & Kyutaro Matsuzawa & Joseph J. Sabia, 2021. "When Do Shelter‐In‐Place Orders Fight Covid‐19 Best? Policy Heterogeneity Across States And Adoption Time," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 29-52, January.
    7. Agüero, Jorge M. & Beleche, Trinidad, 2017. "Health shocks and their long-lasting impact on health behaviors: Evidence from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in Mexico," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 40-55.
    8. 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.
    9. Aaron Chalfin & Shooshan Danagoulian & Monica Deza, 2021. "COVID-19 Has Strengthened the Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Domestic Violence," NBER Working Papers 28523, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Jonathan Zhang, 2021. "Hospital Avoidance and Unintended Deaths during the COVID-19 Pandemic," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(4), pages 405-426.
    11. Tatyana Deryugina & David Molitor, 2020. "Does When You Die Depend on Where You Live? Evidence from Hurricane Katrina," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(11), pages 3602-3633, November.
    12. Kamyar Nasseh & Marko Vujicic & Michael Glick, 2017. "The Relationship between Periodontal Interventions and Healthcare Costs and Utilization. Evidence from an Integrated Dental, Medical, and Pharmacy Commercial Claims Database," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 519-527, April.
    13. Chalfin, Aaron & Danagoulian, Shooshan & Deza, Monica, 2019. "More sneezing, less crime? Health shocks and the market for offenses," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    14. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    15. 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.
    16. Shooshan Danagoulian & Derek Jenkins, 2021. "Rolling back the gains: Maternal stress undermines pregnancy health after Flint's water switch," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(3), pages 564-584, March.
    17. Thomas Buchmueller & Sarah Miller & Marko Vujicic, 2016. "How Do Providers Respond to Changes in Public Health Insurance Coverage? Evidence from Adult Medicaid Dental Benefits," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 8(4), pages 70-102, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kamyar Nasseh & John R. Bowblis, 2022. "The effect on dental care utilization from transitioning pediatric Medicaid beneficiaries to managed care," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(6), pages 1103-1128, June.
    2. 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).
    3. Huh, Jason, 2021. "Medicaid and provider supply," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    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. Bryan C. McCannon & Mark Wilson, 2023. "Mask Mandates Increased COVID-19 Deaths in Kansas," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 38(Winter 20), pages 29-54.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes & Neeraj Kaushal & Ashley N. Muchow, 2021. "Timing of social distancing policies and COVID-19 mortality: county-level evidence from the U.S," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(4), pages 1445-1472, October.
    9. Jerch, Rhiannon & Kahn, Matthew E. & Lin, Gary C., 2023. "Local public finance dynamics and hurricane shocks," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    10. Thomas Buchmueller & John C. Ham & Lara D. Shore-Sheppard, 2015. "The Medicaid Program," NBER Chapters, in: Economics of Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, Volume 1, pages 21-136, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Wing, Coady & Marier, Allison, 2014. "Effects of occupational regulations on the cost of dental services: Evidence from dental insurance claims," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 131-143.
    12. Nicola Pierri & Yannick Timmer, 2020. "IT Shields: Technology Adoption and Economic Resilience during the Covid-19 Pandemic," CESifo Working Paper Series 8720, CESifo.
    13. Dena Bravata & Jonathan H. Cantor & Neeraj Sood & Christopher M. Whaley, 2021. "Back to School: The Effect of School Visits During COVID-19 on COVID-19 Transmission," NBER Working Papers 28645, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Shooshan Danagoulian & Derek Jenkins, 2021. "Rolling back the gains: Maternal stress undermines pregnancy health after Flint's water switch," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(3), pages 564-584, March.
    15. Thomas Buchmueller & Sarah Miller & Marko Vujicic, 2016. "How Do Providers Respond to Changes in Public Health Insurance Coverage? Evidence from Adult Medicaid Dental Benefits," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 8(4), pages 70-102, November.
    16. Thuy D. Nguyen & Sumedha Gupta & Martin S. Andersen & Ana I. Bento & Kosali I. Simon & Coady Wing, 2021. "Impacts of state COVID‐19 reopening policy on human mobility and mixing behavior," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(2), pages 458-486, October.
    17. Oikonomou, Myrto & Pierri, Nicola & Timmer, Yannick, 2023. "IT shields: Technology adoption and economic resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    18. Johanna Catherine Maclean & Chandler McClellan & Michael F. Pesko & Daniel Polsky, 2023. "Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services and behavioral health outcomes," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 873-909, April.
    19. Shooshan Danagoulian & Daniel Grossman & David Slusky, 2022. "Health Care Following Environmental Disasters: Evidence from Flint," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(4), pages 1060-1089, September.
    20. Germain Gauthier, 2021. "On the Use of Two-Way Fixed Effects Models for Policy Evaluation During Pandemics," Papers 2106.10949, arXiv.org.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:31:y:2022:i:9:p:1973-1992. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5749 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.