Children with Medicaid receive less dental care than those privately insured
Children with Medicaid receive less dental care than those privately insuredChildren with cleft lip and or palate experience significant differences in obtaining dental care depending on the type of insurance coverage they have. Those with Medicaid are more often refused
Children with Medicaid receive less dental care than those privately insured
These findings were reported in the May 2009 issue of the Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal. Parents and caregivers of 171 children ages 7 to 12 with cleft lip and/or palate were interviewed for a study. Although 84.8% of the children received regular dental care, those who did not were predominantly covered by public insurance rather than private insurance.
A lack of dentists treating this special needs group may offer an explanation for some of the difficulties in obtaining care. The study did not find distance to a dental care facility to be a factor.
However, a limited number of dentists accept public insurance, including Medicaid. The authors note that according to one survey, less than 50% of dentists treat children with Medicaid coverage.
A Michigan study is also noted; it found that the number of children receiving dental care increased by 32.3% after the implementation of a program that offered reimbursement rates for Medicaid nearly identical to those of private insurance.
The authors of the present study express a need for further research to determine whether increasing the reimbursement rate will increase the percentage of dentists who accept patients with clefts who have Medicaid coverage.
To read the full text of the article, “A Survey of Cleft Team Patient Experience in Obtaining Dental Care,” visit: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/cpcj-46-04-444-447.pdf <http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/cpcj-46-04-444-447.pdf>
About The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal
The official publication of the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association (ACPA), the Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal is a bi-monthly international, interdisciplinary journal on craniofacial anomalies. The journal explores and reports on the study and treatment, including experimental and proven surgical procedures, of cleft lip/palate and craniofacial anomalies. It also keeps readers in touch with the latest research in related laboratory sciences. To learn more about the society, please visit: http://www.acpa-cpf.org/.
