Research Findings # 0

Table 6. Dental services^a: median and mean expenditures per person with expense and distribution of expenditures by source of payment, U.S., 1997

Annual total expense per person with expense

|
|
|
|

Percent distribution of total expenses by source of payment

Population characteristic

Total population (in thousands)

Percent with expense

Median

Mean

|
|
|
|

Total expenses (in millions)

Out of Pocket

Private Insurance^b

Medicare

Medicaid

Other public programs^c

Other^d

Total

271,279

40.5

$145

$405

|

$44,501

51.1

41.7

0.4

3.0

0.8

3.0

|

Age in years

|

Under 65

237,093

40.8

140

400

|

38,695

48.2

44.9

0.0

3.3

0.7

2.8

Under 6

23,791

17.6

88

151

|

632

28.7

45.3

0.0

22.6

0.3*

3.0*

6-17

48,127

50.0

121

434

|

10,433

48.1

41.2

0.0

6.5

0.7*

3.6

18-44

108,879

39.1

139

362

|

15,379

44.7

49.4

0.0

2.1

0.6*

3.2

45-64

56,295

46.2

179

471

|

12,251

53.8

42.4

0.1*

1.0

0.9*

1.7

65 and over

34,185

38.0

179

447

|

5,806

70.3

20.0

2.8

1.4*

1.2*

4.3*

|

Sex

|

Male

132,605

37.4

140

390

|

19,331

52.7

40.2

0.4

2.6

1.0

3.1

Female

138,673

43.4

148

418

|

25,170

49.9

42.8

0.4

3.3

0.6*

3.0

|

Race/ethnicity

|

White and other

206,082

45.2

150

416

|

38,748

52.1

41.9

0.4

2.1

0.7

2.8

Black

34,086

25.4

102

292

|

2,523

45.7

38.0

0.6*

10.4

2.2*

3.1

Hispanic

31,111

25.7

137

403

|

3,230

43.4

41.3

0.4

9.0

0.4

5.5*

|

Health insurance status^e,f

|
|
|

Under age 65:

|

Any private

173,962

47.3

149

422

|

34,712

47.8

49.9

0.0

0.4*

0.5*

1.4

Public only

29,828

26.8

92

229

|

1,831

26.1

3.8*

0.6*

61.4

3.6*

4.5

Uninsured

33,304

19.3

107

335

|

2,153

73.8

0.0

2.2*

24.0

Age 65 and over:

|
|

Medicare only

8,550

30.1

188

513

|

1,322

78.4

0.0

6.2

0.0

1.5*

14.0*

Medicare and private

21,690

44.5

184

441

|
|

4,251

69.0

26.5

1.6*

0.4*

1.2*

1.3*

Medicare and other public

3,486

15.6

--

|
|

--

|

Poverty status^g

|
|

Poor

36,415

23.2

121

350

|

2,963

40.9

17.4

0.8*

35.6

1.1

4.3*

Near-poor

12,233

23.5

100

277

|

797

53.3

29.3

0.4*

9.6

3.8*

3.5*

Low income

38,723

30.3

119

337

|

3,948

57.0

31.6

0.2*

3.1

0.5*

7.5*

Middle income

89,981

40.7

143

373

|

13,667

50.7

44.2

0.6

0.4

1.1*

3.0

High income

93,926

53.3

158

462

|

23,126

51.6

45.4

0.3*

0.2*

0.5

2.1

|

Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)^e

|
|
|

MSA

215,782

41.9

150

421

|

38,049

50.5

42.6

0.5

2.8

0.8

2.9

Non-MSA

52,621

36.1

120

329

|

6,251

54.1

36.6

0.1*

4.5

0.9*

3.8*

|

Census Region

|
|

Northeast

52,394

42.3

149

419

|

9,278

56.6

36.3

0.4

4.0

0.3*

2.4

Midwest

63,090

45.8

135

359

|

10,368

49.2

44.4

0.2*

2.3*

0.7*

3.2

South

94,929

34.8

132

395

|

13,052

54.7

38.9

0.2*

2.2

0.9

3.1

West

60,865

42.2

177

460

|

11,803

44.5

46.6

0.8

3.8

1.1*

3.3

|

Perceived health status^e

|
|

Under 65 years

|
|

Excellent, very good , or good

217,904

41.4

140

397

|
|

35,861

48.0

45.4

0.0

3.1

0.6*

2.8

Fair or Poor

18,876

34.3

151

436

|

2,821

51.1

38.1

0.5*

5.8

1.9*

2.6*

65 years and over

|
|

Excellent, very good , or good

24,864

42.6

178

443

|
|

4,688

69.6

21.2

2.4

0.7*

1.0*

5.1*

Fair or Poor

8,890

26.9

181

467

|

1,118

73.2

15.1

4.5*

2.1*

0.7*

^aExpenses from any type of dental care providers are included.

^bPrivate insurance includes CHAMPUS and CHAMPVA (Armed-Forces-related coverage).

^cOther public programs include Department of Veterans Affairs (except CHAMPVA); other Federal sources (Indian Health Service, military treatment facilities, and other care provided by the Federal Government); other State and local sources (community and neighborhood clinics, State and local health departments, and State programs other than Medicaid); and other public (Medicaid payments reported for persons who were not enrolled in the Medicaid program at any time during the year).

^dOther includes Worker's Compensation; other unclassified sources (e.g., automobile, homeowner's, liability, and other miscellaneous or unknown sources); and other private insurance (any type of private insurance payments reported for persons without private health insurance coverage during the year, as defined in MEPS).

^eNumber of persons and amount of expenses do not add to overall total because data on this variable were not available for some sample persons.

^fUninsured refers to persons uninsured during the entire year. Public and private health insurance categories refer to individuals with public or private insurance at any time during the period; individuals with both public and private insurance and those with CHAMPUS or CHAMPVA (Armed-Forces-related coverage) are classified as having insurance.

^gPoor refers to incomes below the Federal poverty line; near poor, over the poverty line through 125 percent of the poverty line; low income, over 125 percent through 200 percent of the poverty line; middle income, over 200 percent to 400 percent of the poverty line; and high income, over 400 percent of the poverty line.

-- Less than 100 sample cases with expenses.

*Relative standard error equal to or greater than 30 percent.

Note: These estimates are for a target population of approximately 271.3 million persons who were in the civilian noninstitutionalized population for all or part of 1997. Percents may not add to 100 because of rounding.

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 1997.

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