Utilization of Dental Services Among Medicaid Enrolled Children. Medicaid Policy Brief 9.

摘要

All Medicaid-enrolled children are entitled to dental screening, diagnostic, preventive, and treatment services under Medicaids Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program. However, according to Medicaid administrative data from the CMS-416 EPSDT report, on average only 40 percent of Medicaid-enrolled children had any dental care in 2010 (Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, 2012a). A Government Accountability Office (GAO, 2008) analysis of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data similarly found that only 37 percent of Medicaid-enrolled children had any dental service use in 20042005. This lack of utilization is troubling, because untreated tooth decay can result in pain and infection that can affect childrens daily activities, such as eating, playing, and speaking. Dental pain can result in lack of attention during school and missed school days (CDC, 2011; Satcher, 2003).