Health News
- More Dental Patients Using Ers, Showing Lack Of Dental Coverage, Shortage Of Dentists And The Stepchild Status Of Oral Health
More patients are going to hospital emergency rooms for dental care, illustrating how oral health remains the stepchild of the health system despite health-care reform. "An analysis of the most recent federal data by the American Dental Association shows...
- Poll Illustrates How Having Insurance And Access To A Health Care Provider Doesn't Mean You Can Afford The Care
Just because a person has appropriate access to a health care provider doesn't mean they can afford to pay for their services, according to the latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll. The poll found that three out of every four Kentuckians with health...
- Foundation Breaks Down Poll By Region To Show Differences Among Kentuckians' Views On Health Topics And Issues
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has released regional breakdowns of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, conducted for it and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati last fall. Each breakdown outlines respondents? answers to various KHIP questions...
- Poll Shows Health Care Costs Are A Burden For Many Kentuckians
A recent statewide survey shows health-care costs are a burden for many Kentuckians, especially for those who are poor and don't have insurance and put off getting care they need because they can't afford it. More than 60 percent of Kentucky adults...
- Poll Finds Four Out Of Five Kentuckians Are Comfortable Seeing A Nurse Practitioner Or Physician Assistant For Routine Care
New poll figures indicate the majority of Kentuckians are comfortable seeing a nurse practitioner, physician assistant or mid-level clinician for their routine care, especially if they have been treated by such clinicians. The findings come as the General...
Health News
Poll shows more than half of Ky. adults have no dental insurance and many go without essential dental care
Routine dental care is essential to overall health, but a new poll shows 1.7 million Kentucky adults do not have dental insurance. That is more than times the number of people who will be at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, notes the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which co-sponsored the poll.
The poll also showed that many Kentucky adults are going without the dental care they need. While the poll found that few owe money for dental bills, only 61 percent said they visited a dentist or dental clinic within the past year. The national figure is 70 percent.
?Oral health is essential to overall health,? said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the foundation. ?Yet, our research indicates a majority of Kentuckians do not have dental coverage, so it is not surprising that a large number of adults do not have a personal dentist or oral health provider.?
Poor oral health or oral pain can lead to poor nutrition and can reduce someone's quality of life by making it difficult to sleep, work or interact with others, and having dental insurance is an important factor in determining whether someone is getting the dental care they need. More than 50 percent of poll respondents indicated not having dental insurance of any kind, and almost half of that group said they skipped getting dental care or check-ups in the past year due to its cost.
Whether or not someone has a normal source of care is also an important factor in determining health care outcomes because those with a personal dentist or doctor are more likely to seek care. Almost 40 percent of poll respondents, however, said they do not have a personal dentist or oral health provider, and almost 80 percent of those respondents said its been more than five years since they last visited a dentist or dental clinic.
The poll was funded by the foundation and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. The poll was conducted last year from Sept. 20 through Oct. 14 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 1,680 adults from throughout Kentucky was interviewed by telephone, including landlines and cell phones, and the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 points.
The poll also showed that many Kentucky adults are going without the dental care they need. While the poll found that few owe money for dental bills, only 61 percent said they visited a dentist or dental clinic within the past year. The national figure is 70 percent.
?Oral health is essential to overall health,? said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the foundation. ?Yet, our research indicates a majority of Kentuckians do not have dental coverage, so it is not surprising that a large number of adults do not have a personal dentist or oral health provider.?
Poor oral health or oral pain can lead to poor nutrition and can reduce someone's quality of life by making it difficult to sleep, work or interact with others, and having dental insurance is an important factor in determining whether someone is getting the dental care they need. More than 50 percent of poll respondents indicated not having dental insurance of any kind, and almost half of that group said they skipped getting dental care or check-ups in the past year due to its cost.
Whether or not someone has a normal source of care is also an important factor in determining health care outcomes because those with a personal dentist or doctor are more likely to seek care. Almost 40 percent of poll respondents, however, said they do not have a personal dentist or oral health provider, and almost 80 percent of those respondents said its been more than five years since they last visited a dentist or dental clinic.
The poll was funded by the foundation and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. The poll was conducted last year from Sept. 20 through Oct. 14 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 1,680 adults from throughout Kentucky was interviewed by telephone, including landlines and cell phones, and the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 points.
- More Dental Patients Using Ers, Showing Lack Of Dental Coverage, Shortage Of Dentists And The Stepchild Status Of Oral Health
More patients are going to hospital emergency rooms for dental care, illustrating how oral health remains the stepchild of the health system despite health-care reform. "An analysis of the most recent federal data by the American Dental Association shows...
- Poll Illustrates How Having Insurance And Access To A Health Care Provider Doesn't Mean You Can Afford The Care
Just because a person has appropriate access to a health care provider doesn't mean they can afford to pay for their services, according to the latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll. The poll found that three out of every four Kentuckians with health...
- Foundation Breaks Down Poll By Region To Show Differences Among Kentuckians' Views On Health Topics And Issues
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has released regional breakdowns of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, conducted for it and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati last fall. Each breakdown outlines respondents? answers to various KHIP questions...
- Poll Shows Health Care Costs Are A Burden For Many Kentuckians
A recent statewide survey shows health-care costs are a burden for many Kentuckians, especially for those who are poor and don't have insurance and put off getting care they need because they can't afford it. More than 60 percent of Kentucky adults...
- Poll Finds Four Out Of Five Kentuckians Are Comfortable Seeing A Nurse Practitioner Or Physician Assistant For Routine Care
New poll figures indicate the majority of Kentuckians are comfortable seeing a nurse practitioner, physician assistant or mid-level clinician for their routine care, especially if they have been treated by such clinicians. The findings come as the General...