The effect of reducing benefit plans on low-income patients seeking periodontal treatment at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

Kamal, Ahmad (2015) The effect of reducing benefit plans on low-income patients seeking periodontal treatment at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.

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Abstract

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition and its prevalence increases with age. Many studies have shown a relationship between periodontal disease and various chronic systemic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Periodontal treatment, which starts with scaling and root planning, has been shown to improve dental health as well as general health. Many patients attending the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine have Medicaid or Medicare coverage. For a short period of time, Medicaid in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania covered scaling and root planing, consequently increasing the number of Medicare and Medicaid patients coming to the dental school for periodontal treatment. This was a retrospective study looking at the number of patients seeking basic periodontal treatment at the dental school with and without Medicaid or Medicare coverage. During the three-year period, from 2008 through 2011, 993 patients with Medicaid coverage came to the dental school for periodontal treatment. In September of 2011, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance coverage was cut, resulting in 560 patients completing periodontal treatment at the school. Pearson chi-squared analysis was performed, showing 28.8 percent of patients received periodontal treatment when they had Medicaid coverage; after the change in state insurance only 22.2 percent of similar patients had periodontal treatment (p ≤ 0.01). This study showed reduced coverage in government-supported dental treatment for basic periodontal procedures significantly reduced the number of patients seeking basic periodontal treatment. The reduction in patients seeking basic periodontal treatment could have significant impact on the public health. Further research is necessary to confirm this finding.

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Details

Item Type:	Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper (Master Essay)
Status:	Unpublished
Creators/Authors:	Creators Email Pitt Username ORCID Kamal, Ahmad
Contributors:	Contribution Contributors Name Email Pitt Username ORCID Committee Chair Finegold, David N dnf@pitt.edu DNF UNSPECIFIED Committee Member Famili, Pouran pof@pitt.edu POF UNSPECIFIED
Date:	10 March 2015
Date Type:	Publication
Access Restriction:	No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Publisher:	University of Pittsburgh
Institution:	University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs:	School of Public Health > Multidisciplinary MPH
Degree:	MPH - Master of Public Health
Thesis Type:	Master Essay
Refereed:	Yes
Date Deposited:	29 Oct 2015 14:44
Last Modified:	04 Jul 2023 11:56
URI:	http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/24138

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