On-center vs off-center dental care for Job Corps members: Cost and utilization

Abstract

While Job Corps Centers vary in size, location, and administrative structure, they are subject to uniform requirements for health services, established by federal regulation and must make individual decisions about whether to furnish dental care on-site or by some alternative arrangement in the community. Analysis of cost and utilization data indicated that expenditures for on-site dental care are greater than for off-center care. However, on-center care results in more dental visits and a lower cost/visit. These observations hold even for the smallest size centers.