The effects of medicaid expansions and reimbursement increases on dentists' participation

North Carolina Medicaid increased nominal Medicaid reimbursement to dentist s 23% from 1988 to 1991 and doubled enrollment through eligibility expansio ns from 1985 to 1991. Using Medicaid claims data and panel data techniques, this analysis investigates the effect of these policy changes on the proba bility that a dentist participated in Medicaid, and on the number of Medica id children seen per provider per quarter. The results suggest that eligibi lity expansions and reimbursement rate increases were only marginally effec tive in increasing access to dental services for the Medicaid population.