Effects of cuts in medicaid on dental-related visits and costs at a safety-net hospital

M. Neely, J.A. Jones, S. Rich, L.S. Gutierrez and P. Mehra

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue 6, e13-e16

Abstract: Weuseddata fromBoston Medical Center, Massachusetts, to determine whether dental-related emergency department (ED) visits and costs increased when Medicaid coverage for adult dental care was reduced in July 2010. In this retrospective study of existing data, we examined the safety-net hospital's dental-related ED visits and costs for 3 years before and 2 years after Massachusetts Health Care Reform. Dental-related ED visits increased 2% the first and 14% the second year after Medicaid cuts. Percentage increases were highest amongolderadults,minorities, and persons receiving charity care, Medicaid, and Medicare.

Keywords: adult; aged; article; budget; dental procedure; economics; emergency health service; female; health care policy; hospital cost; human; male; medicaid; middle aged; mouth disease; organization and management; retrospective study; safety net hospital; statistics; United States; utilization review; young adult, Adult; Aged; Budgets; Dental Care; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Health Care Reform; Hospital Costs; Humans; Male; Massachusetts; Medicaid; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Safety-net Providers; Stomatognathic Diseases; United States; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.301903_9

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301903

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