Studies from Harvard Medical School Yield New Data on Managed Care (Changes In Dental Outcomes After Implementation of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax): Managed Care

2023 SEP 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Fresh data on Managed Care are presented in a new report. According to news reporting out of Boston, Massachusetts, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Beverage taxes are associated with declines in sugar-sweetened beverage sales and consumption, but few studies have evaluated the associations of these taxes with health outcomes. This study analyzed changes in dental decay after the implementation of the Philadelphia sweetened beverage tax.”

Financial support for this research came from NIH National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Harvard Medical School, “Electronic dental record data were obtained on 83,260 patients living in Philadelphia and control areas from 2014 to 2019. Difference-in-differences analyses compared the number of new Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth with that of new Decayed, Missing, and Filled Surfaces before (January 2014-December 2016) and after (January 2019-December 2019) tax implementation in Philadelphia and control patients. Analyses were conducted in older children/adults (aged & GE;15 years) and younger children (aged <15 years). Subgroup analyses stratified by Medicaid status. Analyses were conducted in 2022. The number of new Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth did not change after tax implementation in Philadelphia in panel analyses of older children/adults (difference-in-differences= -0.02, 95% CI= -0.08, 0.03) or younger children (difference-in-differences=0.07, 95% CI= -0.08, 0.23). There were similarly no post-tax changes in the number of new Decayed, Missing, and Filled Surfaces. However, in cross-sectional samples of patients on Medicaid, the number of new Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth was lower after tax implementation in older children/adults (difference in-differences= -0.18, 95% CI= -0.34, -0.03; -22% decline) and younger children (difference -indifferences= -0.22, 95% CI= -0.46, 0.01; -30% decline), with similar results for number of new Decayed, Missing, and Filled Surfaces.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “The Philadelphia beverage tax was not associated with reduced tooth decay in the general population, but it was associated with reduced tooth decay in adults and children on Medicaid, suggesting potential health benefits for low-income populations.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Changes In Dental Outcomes After Implementation of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2023;65(2):221-229. American Journal of Preventive Medicine can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; American Journal of Preventive Medicine - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/american-journal-of-preventive-medicine/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Joshua Petimar, Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Population Medicine, Boston, MA, United States. Additional authors for this research include Jason P. Block, Laura A. Gibson, Christina A. Roberto, Mark S. Wolff, Patricia Corby, Nandita Mitra, Gary Hettinger, Emily F. Gregory and Emma Edmondson.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2023.02.009. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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