Please note: This website has recently moved from www.health.gov to odphp.health.gov. www.health.gov is now the official website of ODPHP’s parent organization, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). Please update your bookmarks for easy access to all our resources. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the proportion of people with dental insurance — AHS‑02 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 70.3 percent of persons under 65 years had dental insurance in 2019

Target: 75.0 percent

Numerator
Number of persons under 65 years who report coverage by any type of public or private dental insurance.
Denominator
Number of persons under 65 years.
Target-setting method
Percentage point improvement
Target-setting method details
Percentage point improvement from the baseline using Cohen's h effect size of 0.10.
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were not available for this objective. A percentage point improvement was calculated using Cohen's h effect size of 0.1. This method was used because it is consistent with the current national priority of increasing access to dental care for Americans. The Healthy People 2030 Workgroup Subject Matter Experts viewed this as an ambitious yet achievable target.

Methodology

Questions used to obtain the national baseline data

(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)
What type of service or care does {your/person's} single service plan or plans pay for?

Dental care

  1. Mentioned (= yes)
  2. Not mentioned
  3. Refused
  4. Not ascertained
  5. Don't know
Dental coverage (Plan 1)
  1. Mentioned (= yes)
  2. Not mentioned
  3. Refused
  4. Not ascertained
  5. Don't know
Dental coverage (Plan 2)
  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Refused
  4. Not ascertained
  5. Don't know
Dental coverage (Plan 3)
  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Refused
  4. Not ascertained
  5. Don't know
Dental coverage (Plan 4)
  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Refused
  4. Not ascertained
  5. Don't know

*responses are aggregated

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.
Revision History
  • Revised. 

    In 2022, due to the 2019 NHIS redesign, the baseline was revised from 54.4% in 2018 to 70.5% in 2019. The target setting method was revised from Projection to Percentange Point Improvement. The target was revised from 59.8% to 75.0%.
  • Revised. 

    In 2024, the following categories were recalculated with the use of a newer variable: Never married, American Indian or Alaska Native only, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only, 2 or more races only, Not Hispanic or Latino American Indian or Alaska Native only, Not Hispanic or Latino Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only, Not Hispanic or Latino 2 or more races only. Estimates from data year 2022 or earlier may vary slightly from estimates previously reported. The baseline, baseline year and target were not affected.