TY - JOUR T1 - Dental usage under changing economic conditions. JF - J Public Health Dent Y1 - 2014 A1 - Richard J. Manski A1 - John F Moeller A1 - Haiyan Chen A1 - Jody Schimmel A1 - Patricia A St Clair A1 - John V Pepper KW - Dental Health Services KW - Financing, Personal KW - Humans KW - Middle Aged KW - United States AB -

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between changes in household finances (wealth and income) and changes in dental utilization at the onset of the recent recession in a population of older Americans.

METHODS: Data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were analyzed for U.S. individuals aged 51 years and older during the 2006 and 2008 waves of the HRS. We estimated logistic models of (a) starting and (b) stopping dental use between 2006 and 2008 survey periods as a function of changes in household wealth and income, controlling for other potentially confounding covariates.

RESULTS: We found that only when household wealth falls by 50 percent or more were older adults less likely to seek dental care. Changes in household income and other changes in household wealth were not associated with changes in dental utilization among this population.

CONCLUSIONS: Older Americans' dental care utilization appeared to be fairly resilient to changes in household finances; only when wealth fell by 50 percent or more did individuals decrease dental use. This finding might extend to other health-care services that are preventive, routine, and relatively inexpensive.

PB - 74 VL - 74 IS - 1 N1 - Times Cited: 1 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22994647?dopt=Abstract U2 - PMC3530004 U4 - dental care/health care/household wealth ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Dental care expenditures and retirement. JF - J Public Health Dent Y1 - 2010 A1 - Richard J. Manski A1 - John F Moeller A1 - Haiyan Chen A1 - Patricia A St Clair A1 - Jody Schimmel A1 - Larry S. Magder A1 - John V Pepper KW - Age Factors KW - Aged KW - Dental Care KW - Educational Status KW - ethnicity KW - Female KW - Financing, Personal KW - Humans KW - Income KW - Insurance Coverage KW - Insurance, Dental KW - Male KW - Marital Status KW - Middle Aged KW - Mouth, Edentulous KW - Retirement KW - United States AB -

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship of dental care coverage, retirement, and out-of-pocket (OOP) dental expenditures in an aging population, using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

METHODS: We estimate OOP dental expenditures among individuals who have dental utilization as a function of dental care coverage status, retirement, and individual and household characteristics. We also estimate a multivariate model controlling for potentially confounding variables.

RESULTS: Overall, mean OOP dental expenditures among those with any spending were substantially larger for those without coverage than for those with coverage. However, controlling for coverage shows that there is little difference in spending by retirement status.

CONCLUSIONS: Although having dental coverage is a key determinant of the level of OOP expenditures on dental care; spending is higher among those without coverage than those who have dental insurance. We also found that while retirement has no independent effect on OOP dental expenditures once controlling for coverage, dental coverage rates are much lower among retirees.

PB - 70 VL - 70 IS - 2 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20002876?dopt=Abstract U2 - PMC2891582 U4 - dental/utilization/dentistry/insurance/coverage/retirement ER -