Threshold analysis of reimbursing physicians for the application of fluoride varnish in young children.

Objective: Most state Medicaid programs reimburse physicians for providing fluoride varnish, yet the only published studies of cost-effectiveness do not show cost-savings. Our objective is to apply state-specific claims data to an existing published model to quickly and inexpensively estimate the cost-savings of a policy consideration to better inform decisions - specifically, to assess whether Indiana Medicaid children's restorative service rates met the threshold to generate cost-savings.

Methods: Threshold analysis was based on the 2006 model by Quiñonez et al.