Open AccessInsurance-Related Barriers to Accessing Dental Care Among African American Adults With Oral Health Symptoms in Harlem, New York City
Author(s) -
Eric W. Schrimshaw,
Karolynn Siegel,
Natalie H. Wolfson,
Dennis A. Mitchell,
Carol Kunzel
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2010.300076
Subject(s) - underinsured , medicaid , dental insurance , dental care , medicine , health insurance , african american , gerontology , family medicine , environmental health , health care , oral health , economic growth , ethnology , economics , history
Although ability to pay is associated with dental care utilization, provision of public or private dental insurance has not eliminated dental care disparities between African American and White adults. We examined insurance-related barriers to dental care in interviews with a street-intercept sample of 118 African American adults in Harlem, New York City, with recent oral health symptoms. Although most participants reported having dental insurance (21% private, 50% Medicaid), reported barriers included (1) lack of coverage, (2) insufficient coverage, (3) inability to find a dentist who accepts their insurance, (4) having to wait for coverage to take effect, and (5) perceived poor quality of care for the uninsured or underinsured. These findings provide insights into why disparities persist and suggest strategies to removing these barriers to dental care.