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Changes in pediatric dental coverage and visits following the implementation of the affordable care act
Author(s) -
Kranz Ashley M.,
Dick Andrew W.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
health services research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.706
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1475-6773
pISSN - 0017-9124
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6773.13093
Subject(s) - medicine , dental insurance , national health interview survey , health insurance , environmental health , dental care , inclusion (mineral) , family medicine , health care , population , gender studies , sociology , economics , economic growth
Objective To determine the impact of the inclusion of pediatric dental care in the Affordable Care Act's ( ACA ) core package of essential health benefits on dental coverage and utilization. Data Sources Children aged 1‐18 years included in the nationally representative 2010‐2015 National Health Interview Survey ( NHIS ). Study Design We used regression‐adjusted difference‐in‐differences to examine changes in rates of dental coverage and visits pre‐ and post‐ ACA for children likely to be affected by the ACA (have a parent working for a small employer) to a comparison group of children who were unlikely to be affected (have a parent in a firm with ≥50 employees). Models adjusted for relevant health and sociodemographic measures. Data Collection NHIS is an annual household survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Principal Findings Comparing pre‐ and post‐ ACA periods, private dental insurance increased by 4.6 percentage points more ( P = 0.013) and annual dental visits were unchanged (2.7 percentage points, P = 0.071) among children likely to be affected by the ACA compared to children unlikely to be affected by the ACA . Conclusion Inclusion of pediatric dental care as an ACA essential health benefit increased dental insurance coverage, but not dental visits among children likely to be affected by this policy.