Practicum/Research Project: Cost & data analysis on utilization of dental health among HIV+ cohort
With expansion of health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) there is a possibility that other safety-net health care programs may be reduced or eliminated. The Ryan White Program, for example, is a major source of safety-net health care funding for low-income and uninsured individuals living with HIV or AIDS. Of particular importance, this program provides payment for adult dental care, a service that is not covered under the ACA. This funding may be lost altogether if not protected.
This research project involves analysis of dental service utilization data and the assignment of costs for a cohort of 2178 HIV positive individuals who entered dental care after not receiving any dental services for at least twelve months. Topics of interest include the cost of providing one year of dental care for a person living with HIV who newly enters care, the difference in utilization patterns and costs between the first year of care and a second year of care, differences in service utilization across the 14 different programs that enrolled patients in the study, other differences in utilization based on socio-demographic characteristics, and recommendations to planning bodies about how to ensure appropriate funds are allocated to ensure access to dental care for this population in the future.
Contact: Jane Fox, 617-638-1937 janefox@bu.edu
