Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104334

Allyson Hall, PhD, Florida Center for Medicaid and the Uninsured, University of Florida, PO Box 100185, Health Science Center, Gainesville, FL 32610, 352 273 5129, ahall@phhp.ufl.edu and Frank A. Catalanotto, DMD, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Florida College of Dentistry, PO BOX 100426, Gainesville, FL 32610-0426.

Several studies have examined untreated dental disease (UDD) as a condition resulting in hospital use that could have been avoided if the primary condition (UDD) had been dealt with earlier. We analysed Florida MediPass administrative claims data for years 2000-2003. Medicaid beneficiaries, aged birth to 10 years, were grouped as follows. Group 1 included children with no record of general anesthesia (GA) for a hospital-based dental procedure. Group 2 had GA (CPT code 00170 for hospital-based dental procedures). Results indicated that there were 181,623 children who had at least one dental claim over the four years, not requiring GA, and 1,533 children who required GA over that time period for dental procedures. Beneficiaries with GA received, on average, approximately 3 times as many diagnostic, preventive, restorative and “other” dental procedures as those without GA. The GA group had significantly more medical contacts than those without GA, including 6 times as many physician visits, twice as many emergency room visits, 4 times as many hospital in-patient admissions and 4 times as long a stay in the hospital for such visits. Additional analyses are being conducted to better understand the reasons for increased utilization of medical services in the Group 2 children.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participants in this session will be able to

• Identify the reasons why Florida MediPass beneficiaries utilize medical service
• List the types of dental services utilized by Florida MediPass beneficiaries

Keywords: Medicaid, Oral Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation