The Impact of the ACA Medicaid Expansions on Dental Visits by Dental Coverage Generosity and Dentist Supply.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Low-income adults in the United States have historically had limited access to dental coverage and poor dental health outcomes.

Objective

We examined the effects of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions on dental visits among low-income adults focusing on the generosity of dental coverage and heterogeneity in effects by dentist supply.

Research design

We used data from 2012, 2014, and 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. The main analytical sample included nearly 117,000 individuals <138% federal poverty level. We employed a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design to identify the impact of the state Medicaid expansions on having a dental visit in the past 12 months by the generosity of dental coverage and dentist supply

SUBMITTER: Wehby GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6742569 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature