The Lion's Pride Volume 9 (January 2018) | Page 52

its goals are to expand the quality of and access to insurance coverage ( especially for minorities and other disadvantaged populations ), focus on prevention over treatment , and overall “ reduce the costs and improve the efficiency of health care ” ( Hellerstedt , n . d .). Changing this one law could impact tens of millions of Americans including particularly vulnerable groups such as low-income children and the elderly ( Sanders , 2012 ). Health care laws influence dental and oral health outcomes because many people can ’ t afford health or dental insurance outside of government-regulated health care exchanges . By requiring providers to have affordable options that include required dental coverage , the ACA makes good dental health accessible for disproportionately at-risk groups .
In 2000 there were significant disparities in dental health outcomes of children based on economic factors . That year the Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA ) published an article that illustrated how economic factors contribute to the gap in preventative care for children in the US . “ Disparities in Children ’ s Oral Health and Access to Dental Care ” compares numerous statistics to show how children ’ s dental outcomes are impacted by their access to services . Children with special health care needs , from low income families , and minorities “ are at greatest risk of inadequate access and poor oral health ” ( Mouradian , Wehr , & Crall , 2000 ). The US Senate report published in 2012 found that not much had changed and that there were still many