Tracking Dental Care Utilization among Medicaid Populations

Dates: 2005-present

Background:
Dental utilization rates are lower among people with Medicaid coverage compared to their counterparts with private dental insurance. The State of Michigan’s Medicaid program has made numerous policy changes aimed at improving dentist participation in Medicaid and increasing access to dental care for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Objective:
To monitor patterns of dental care utilization among different Medicaid populations.

Research Topics & Methods:
The project involves detailed analysis of Medicaid administrative claims to generate annual data on:

• Receipt of preventive services among Medicaid-enrolled children
• Receipt of dental care among perinatal women
• Provision of oral health services (e.g., fluoride varnish, oral assessment) in the primary care setting
• Dental utilization rates by county

Implications:
Data from this project are used to populate oral health dashboards, which allow the MDHHS Oral Health Program to track the progress of their efforts to increase access to and utilization of dental services among Medicaid beneficiaries.

Funder:
The project is funded by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, in conjunction with the Delta Dental Foundation.