More children on Medicaid managed care plans may visit hospital for dental care

Medicaid managed care plans may be associated with an increase in nontraumatic dental condition-related emergency department visits among pediatric patients, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum.

Previous studies have found that only 45% of pediatric patients enrolled in Medicaid received dental care in 2021. In an effort to regulate costs and improve access to dental care, Florida shifted from a fee-for-service arrangement to a Medicaid managed care plan.

In the study, investigators examined the data from 34,414 nontraumatic dental emergency department visits among patients aged 17 years and younger who were residents of Florida and enrolled in Medicaid between 2010 and 2014. Compared with control counties that adopted the managed care plans between 2004 and 2007, treatment counties — those that adopted the plans between 2012 and 2013 — had a higher rate of nontraumatic dental condition-related emergency department visits.

The investigators indicated that Medicaid managed care plans may create a barrier to preventable dental conditions in this patient population, representing unintended consequences of adopting the policies. They concluded that Florida and other states that implemented Medicaid managed care plans should consider retaining fee-for-service arrangements.

Read more: JAMA Health Forum

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