Objectives. The authors present second-year utilization data and first- and
second-year cost data for a community-based program in Spokane County, Was
hington, designed to increase access to dental care for Medicaid-enrolled c
hildren from birth to 60 months of age.
Methods. The authors used Medicaid eligibility and claims data for 18,727 c
hildren 5 years of age and younger to determine utilization of dental care
from January 15, 1996, through January 15, 1997. They also used accounting
records from the agencies involved to calculate the first- and second-year
costs of the program.
Results, A child in the ABCD program was 7.2 limes as likely to have at lea
st one dental visit as a Medicaid-enrolled child not in the program. Estima
ted costs per child with at least one dental visit (in 1995 dollars) were $
54.30 for the first year and $44.38 for the second year, or $20.09 per enro
lled child for the first year and $18.77 for the second year.
Conclusion. Public-private joint efforts are effective in improving access
to dental care for Medicaid-enrolled children.