Distributive effects of dental programs for old-age pensioners in Norway

The purpose of the present paper was to study the distributive effects of different delivery models of dental services to old-age pensioners in the county of Troms in Northern Norway. The empirical basis was formed by a baseline survey at the start of a 50% demand subsidy in 1975/76, and from a delivery experiment along a "market-need" dimension which was started in 1978 and lasted for 1 yr in three research areas (Municipalities). In the control area there was no intervention beyond the 50% demand subsidy, while the two experimental areas differed with regard to improvements of the market mechanism in terms of increasing degree of collective decisions as to which treatment needs should come to treatment. The aggregate consumption of dental services was relatively unaffected by a reduction in the price of dental treatment. The improvements of the market contributed to a net gain in use rate from 16% to 23%, while moving towards the "need" end of the "market-need" dimension. By minimizing the market mechanism, the use of dental services expanded and the cost of the programs increased, but whether the inequalities diminished could not be decided empirically.