Planning for oral health services: Utilization and cost of dental care for people living with HIV/AIDS

Carol Tobias, BUSPHAPHA 2012

Presenter Disclosures

(1) The following personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this presentation existed during the past 12 months:

Carol Tobias

No relationship to disclose

The SPNS Oral Health Initiative (2006-2011)• 15 programs funded to expand access to HIV oral

health care• 8 rural programs, 7 urban programs• Service models– 4 mobile vans– 7 co-located medical and dental services– 1 program in a dental hygiene school– 3 Satellite clinics

SPNS Sites

Eligibility Criteria• At least 18 years of age• HIV positive• Out of oral health care for prior 12 months,

except for emergency care to relieve pain or infection

Services Provided

Over the course of the study:• Patients made over 15,000 clinic visits• They received over 37,000 services• 917 (42%) completed a Phase 1 treatment plan

*Phase 1 Treatment Plan = Prevent and treat active disease

The ones that got away…

375 (17%) patients had only one visit

CategoryTypes of Dental ServicesExplanation

% Receiving Service

Diagnostic care Exams, x-rays, etc. 98%

Preventive care Cleanings, fluoride, patient ed. 63%

Restorative care Restorations, fillings 50%

Periodontal care Non-surgical and surgical care 42%

Oral surgery Extractions, simple and surgical 29%

Removable Prosthodontics

Partial and complete dentures, repairs 21%

Endodontic services Root canals, pulpal procedures 11%

Fixed Prosthodontics Bridges 3%

What does it cost to provide this care?

It depends on …….• The services covered• The price paid for a service, or the cost• How many patients are new to dental care vs.

already engaged • What other resources are available? (Medicaid,

private insurance, foundation funds)

Pricing Methods• Used utilization data from the SPNS initiative • Grouped sites according to services provided (basic,

intermediate, comprehensive)

• Used 3 different fee schedules (FL Medicaid, Delta Dental, ADA usual and customary)

• Applied fee schedules to services provided during the first 12 months of care (at different levels of coverage)

• Did the same thing for the second 12 months of care

Definitions

Level of Care# of sites Covered Services

Basic Care 14 Diagnostic services, preventive services, restorations excluding crowns, periodontal care excluding surgery, adjunctive services

Intermediate Care

12 Basic care PLUS periodontal surgery, oral surgery, removable prosthodontics

Comprehen-sive care

8 Intermediate care PLUS crowns, endodontics, and fixed prosthodontics.

Average Cost/Person in First 12 months of Treatment

Comprehensive care

Intermediate care Basic Care$0

$200 $400 $600 $800

$1,000 $1,200 $1,400 $1,600 $1,800 $2,000

$603

$383 $217

$1,271

$965

$541

$1,829

$1,435

$833 Low CostMedium CostHigh Cost

Low cost = Miami/Dade County fee schedule; Medium cost = Delta Dental; High cost = ADA usual & customary

Average Cost/Person for First 12 Months of TreatmentService % of Pts receiving service Annual cost (medium)Diagnostic Care 98% $153Preventive Care 63% $60Restorative Care (exc. crowns) 59% $205Crowns 6% $112Periodontal Care 42% $106Endodontic Care 11% $107Oral Surgery 29% $134Removable Prosthetics 21% $291Fixed Prosthetics 21% $88Adjunctive NA $18 TOTAL $1271

Change in Costs – Year 2*

Comprehensive Care Intermediate Care Basic Care$0

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400 $1,271

$965

$541

$393

$237 $126

Year 1Year 2

*Using the medium cost schedule

Difference in cost – Years 1 and 2*

Diagnosti

cs

Preventive

Restorati

ons

Periodontal

R. Prosth

estics

Oral Su

rgery

Adjunctive

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Year 1Year 2

Cost

per

per

son

* Using intermediate level of care and medium cost schedule

Things to think about• Who are your dental providers – CHCs,

university clinics, private practices, HIV clinics?• What will they accept for payment rates?• What is the trade off between depth of

coverage and numbers served?• Other payers?• Geographic considerations

Other ResultsTo access the Public Health Reports journal supplement on Innovations in Oral Health Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS, go to:

http://www.publichealthreports.org/issuecontents.cfm?Volume=127&Issue=8