Vol. zyxwvuts 37, No. 2-Spring, 1977 99 A SURVEY OF DENTAL CARE PROGRAMS OFFERED BY “QUALIFIED” HMOs John R. Coleman, Ph.D.O Stephen C. Poplaski, MBAoo Introduction The Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973l provided many health care provider organizations with an opportunity to become involved in comprehensive prepaid medical care programs in the communities they serve. Over 400 applica- tions for federal assistance to develop HMOs were processed by HEW between January 1974 and January 1976.2 In January 1976, there were approximately 170 operational HMOs zyxwvu - more than a five-fold increase from 1971 when there were only 33. In August 1976 18 of the operational HMOs had become “qualified” by HEW.3 Among the health services provided by the qualified HMOs are the contro- versial preventive dental care services for children under age 12. Since the Act was passed in December 1973, there has been much controversy about the mandated dental care services. The American Dental Association has always contended that the mandated services alone are not enough, and that an HMO should provide a full spectrum of dental care services for children, especially diagnostic and emergency care procedures4 Negative reactions have also been expressed by the ADA and state dental societies because of perceived inadequacies of using “closed panels” and capita- tion payrnent~.~ HMOs that became operational before the Act was passed also reacted negatively to the mandated services because they placed the plans at price disadvantages with competing health insurers not offering dental care.6 Opposition to the dental provisions of the Act prompted many disenchanted groups to promote legislation to remove the mandated services from the “basic health service” category. These efforts have been successful because the HMO Amendments Act of 1976’ removed the preventive dental services from the list of “basic health services” which must be provided. Some HMOs which have become operational within the last year have become qualified under the original Act and provide the mandated services. This paper will indicate the direction these HMOs have taken in providing dental care services. Because the HMOs were developed in accord with the Act, the provisions of the Act will be introduced first. A descriptive analysis of the dental care programs will follow. Requirements of the HMO Act of 1973 An HMO which intended to qualify for funding from the federal government under the HMO Act of 1973 must have included preventive dental care for children under 12 as one of its “basic health services.” The regulations established by HEW for the law in part stated? *Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of New Haven, West Haven, **Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Public Administration, University of New Haven, Connecticut zyxwvuts 06516 West Haven. Connecticut 06516.