Comprehensive Dentistry Appointment Availability for Northern California Adults with Medicaid
Background The Medi-Cal Dental Program provides a directory of providers who may participate in the insurance plan. This study aims to quantify access to comprehensive dental care for adults with this insurance in the San Francisco Bay Area.Methods An adult secret shopper with a standardized script...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of the California Dental Association |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/19424396.2025.2525125 |
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| Summary: | Background The Medi-Cal Dental Program provides a directory of providers who may participate in the insurance plan. This study aims to quantify access to comprehensive dental care for adults with this insurance in the San Francisco Bay Area.Methods An adult secret shopper with a standardized script called providers in the directory from nine counties seeking comprehensive dental care appointments during 2024. If the provider was contacted, the time until the next available appointment (NAA) and the third next available appointment (TNAA) was recorded. If not contacted within three calls, “not contacted” was coded. If the provider was contacted but an appointment was not offered, the reason was recorded.Results All 425 providers listed in the directory as accepting new patients were called and 358 (84.2%) were reached within three calls. Of those reached, 220 (61.5%) confirmed accepting adult new patients with Medi-Cal Dental insurance, and 207 (57.8%) offered at least one appointment. The mean NAA was in 18.04 days (SD 27.94, range 0–201), and mean TNAA was in 25.08 days (SD 29.98, range 2–239). The most reported reason that an appointment was not offered was that they only accept Medi-Cal Dental insurance from pediatric patients (43.5%).Conclusions For adults with Medi-Cal Dental insurance seeking comprehensive dental care, 61.5% of providers reached reported acceptance of adult new patients, with time until next available appointments averaging less than one month.Practical Implications Addition of adult/pediatric status in the directory may expedite the patients’ search. |
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| ISSN: | 1942-4396 |