Evaluating network adequacy of oral health services for children on Medicaid in Arizona.

Purpose: Inadequate networks can prevent patients from being able to see the providers that they trust and depend upon, especially for children insured through Medicaid. To improve our understanding of poor oral health care outcomes, we conducted a test of network adequacy among Medicaid pediatric dental providers in Arizona through a "secret shopper" phone survey.

Methods: This study tested multiple components of children's access to oral health care, including reliability of provider directory information, appointment availability at the practice level for children covered under Medicaid versus commercial insurance, and compliance with regulatory standards.