TY - JOUR
T1 - Estimating the Cost Savings of Preventive Dental Services Delivered to Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Six Southeastern States
AU - Lee, Ilbin
AU - Monahan, Sean
AU - Serban, Nicoleta
AU - Griffin, Paul M.
AU - Tomar, Scott L.
N1 - Funding Information:
ati and Pratik Khairnar at Georgia Tech computed CRGs and obtained the caries prevalence from regression model. We thank Carol Smith, Director of the Oral Health Program at the Georgia Department of Public Health, for her support with data and policy guidance. The research of Dr. Lee was supported by a Health Analytics Research Gift provided by Andrea Laliberte and Mr. Monahan was supported by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Petit Undergraduate Research Scholars Program of Georgia Tech. Other support includes the Coca Cola Early Professorship Chair (Dr. Serban) and the Virginia C. and Joseph C. Mello Professorship Chair (Dr. Griffin) of Georgia Tech. Disclosures: None. Disclaimer: None.
Funding Information:
Joint Acknowledgment/Disclosure Statement: We are grateful that Pravara M. Harati and Pratik Khairnar at Georgia Tech computed CRGs and obtained the caries prevalence from regression model. We thank Carol Smith, Director of the Oral Health Program at the Georgia Department of Public Health, for her support with data and policy guidance. The research of Dr. Lee was supported by a Health Analytics Research Gift provided by Andrea Laliberte and Mr. Monahan was supported by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and the Petit Undergraduate Research Scholars Program of Georgia Tech. Other support includes the Coca Cola Early Professorship Chair (Dr. Serban) and the Virginia C. and Joseph C. Mello Professorship Chair (Dr. Griffin) of Georgia Tech. Disclosures: None. Disclaimer: None.
Publisher Copyright:
© Health Research and Educational Trust
PY - 2018/10
Y1 - 2018/10
N2 - Objective: To quantify the impact of multiyear utilization of preventive dental services on downstream dental care utilization and expenditures for children. Data Sources/Study Setting: We followed 0.93 million Medicaid-enrolled children who were 3–6 years old in 2005 from 2005 to 2011. We used Medicaid claims data of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. Study Design: We clustered each state's study population into four groups based on utilization of topical fluoride and dental sealants before caries-related treatment using machine learning algorithms. We evaluated utilization rates and expenditures across the four groups and quantified cost savings of preventive care for different levels of penetration. Data Extraction Method: We extracted all dental-related claims using CDT codes. Principal Findings: In all states, Medicaid expenditures were much lower for children who received topical fluoride and dental sealants before caries development than for all other children, with a per-member per-year difference ranging from $88 for Alabama to $156 for Mississippi. Conclusions: The cost savings from topical fluoride and sealants across the six states ranged from $1.1M/year in Mississippi to $12.9M/year in Texas at a 10 percent penetration level. Preventive dental care for children not only improves oral health outcomes but is also cost saving.
AB - Objective: To quantify the impact of multiyear utilization of preventive dental services on downstream dental care utilization and expenditures for children. Data Sources/Study Setting: We followed 0.93 million Medicaid-enrolled children who were 3–6 years old in 2005 from 2005 to 2011. We used Medicaid claims data of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. Study Design: We clustered each state's study population into four groups based on utilization of topical fluoride and dental sealants before caries-related treatment using machine learning algorithms. We evaluated utilization rates and expenditures across the four groups and quantified cost savings of preventive care for different levels of penetration. Data Extraction Method: We extracted all dental-related claims using CDT codes. Principal Findings: In all states, Medicaid expenditures were much lower for children who received topical fluoride and dental sealants before caries development than for all other children, with a per-member per-year difference ranging from $88 for Alabama to $156 for Mississippi. Conclusions: The cost savings from topical fluoride and sealants across the six states ranged from $1.1M/year in Mississippi to $12.9M/year in Texas at a 10 percent penetration level. Preventive dental care for children not only improves oral health outcomes but is also cost saving.
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U2 - 10.1111/1475-6773.12811
DO - 10.1111/1475-6773.12811
M3 - Article
C2 - 29194610
AN - SCOPUS:85036527283
VL - 53
SP - 3592
EP - 3616
JO - Health Services Research
JF - Health Services Research
SN - 0017-9124
IS - 5
ER -