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New Analysis Reveals Growing Inequity in Sping on Dentistry Between Lowest and Highest Income Families
A recent study by CareQuest Institute sheds light on the growing disparities in sping on dental care between low-income and high-income families. The findings indicate that the most recent data from 2021 showed that low-income families were paying seven times more out-of-pocket for dental care compared to those with higher incomes.
Key Insights:
In contrast to the situation as early as 2007, where low-income households spent about 5.5 times more on dental expenses than their wealthier counterparts, by 2021, this gap widened to an astonishing seven-fold difference.
The striking disparity also manifests in healthcare accessibility. Household rates of dental visits within the past year were significantly lower for poorer families approximately 25 compared to wealthier ones around 55. This suggests that when access to care is avlable, low-income households bear a disproportionately high cost burden.
Policy Recommations:
To address this growing disparity and improve accessibility and affordability of dental services:
Introduce Comprehensive Medicd Adult Dental Benefits: Ensuring all states provide such benefits would be a critical step towards equal access.
Enhance Provider Participation in Medicd Programs: Increasing participation by dental providers would expand the pool of accessible care options for low-income patients.
Support Safety-net Providers Serving Low-Income Populations: Investing in public health initiatives targeted at underserved communities can help bridge existing gaps and provide equitable access to dental healthcare.
Further Exploration:
Uninsured and In Need, part of our series on the State of Oral Health Equity in America, reveals that over 68 million US adults lack dental insurance coverage.
Medicd Adult Dental Coverage Checker, an interactive tool, helps policymakers assess their state's current Medicd benefits for adults, providing insights into where they stand relative to offering comprehensive coverage.
An Estimated 12 Million Children and Adults Lost Medicd Dental Insurance investigates the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on dental insurance avlability in 2023.
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