Dental Expenditures in the 10 Largest States, 2010

Excerpt

In 2010, expenditures for dental care accounted for 6.6 percent of the overall health care expenditures among the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Dental expenditures were incurred by 40.4 percent of the population, and the average annual expense per person was $666.

Dental expenditures are distinguished from overall health care expenditures in the distribution by sources of payment. In 2010, a higher percentage of dental expenditures was paid out of pocket (47.5 percent for dental versus 14.2 percent overall) and a lower percentage was paid by Medicaid (5.8 percent versus 10.4 percent). Dental and overall expenditures were similar in the percentage paid by private insurance (43.1 percent versus 40.1 percent) (data for overall category not shown).

Many factors can influence health care expenses in a particular state, including the demographic, socioeconomic, and health status characteristics of the population. Further, the prevalence and types of health insurance coverage in a state can impact access to care, the level of expenditures, and the extent to which different sources finance health care services.

This Statistical Brief presents estimates based on data from the Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) on the use, expenditures, and sources of payments for dental expenditures for persons in the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2010 for the 10 largest states, and compares the results to the national average in 2010. Only those estimates with statistically significant differences from the national average using a multiple comparison procedure at the .05 significance level are noted in the text.