AI generated summary of Pubmed citation/abstract with PMID 38093491

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38093491
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of two policy interventions in Finland that reduced public subsidies for private dental services. Using a realist evaluation and data from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the study found that the reductions to subsidies resulted in a 49% decrease in average subsidies to the private dental sector and a 26% increase in out-of-pocket prices. Additionally, 12.2% of patients left the private sector and transitioned to the public sector, which saw a 2.3% increase in dental care professionals and a 9.9% increase in the patient-to-professional ratio. The private sector lost 4.6% of its dental care professionals and increased prices by 4%. The study concludes that the policy changes had tangible effects on both the private and public sectors, with many patients transitioning to the public sector and initial evidence suggesting that the changes increased the cost to the public sector.