| dc.description.abstract | Background: There will always be uncertainty of cost and what kind of dental treatment you will need. In Norway dental treatment is payed out of pocket after turning 21 years. It may be desirable for young adults to regularly pay a given amount, as in a dental insurance scheme, to ensure and protect themselves from unforeseen cost. But what does the population really want? Is public dental insurance desirable? Objective: The purpose was to explore the willingness to pay for a public dental insurance scheme in Norway and if the scheme is desirable, with the research question: “Are youths aged 18-30 years willing to pay for dental insurance? A willingness-to-pay analysis”. Approach: To determine if a public dental insurance scheme is desirable research on if prices for healthcare services have an effect on young adults/adolescents were explored, and the maximum WTP per month for a subscription payment scheme was determined. Finally, the overall WTP was investigated based on the current scheme in Sweden complimented by the possible challenges of policy implications. Method: A Contingent Valuation method, via a web omnibus survey was used to assess willingness-to-pay. The collected data was further analyzed using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a binary logistic regression. Results: The findings suggest that a public dental insurance scheme is desired by the majority of the population (51% of N=438) in the 18-30 years age group. The mean maximum amount respondents were willing to pay each month, is NOK 185.60. The estimated WTP among the population is greater than the average costs of subscription payment in Sweden. Conclusion: A high WTP among the respondents may be an indicator for implementing such a scheme, although we can only see this study as a pilot. Due to the small sample size and generalizability, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that a public dental insurance scheme should be implemented. However, to implement the scheme a consequence analysis need to be assessed in cooperation with The Dental Society, The Ministry of Health and Care Services and other relevant partners for the outcome of the scheme. It is advisable that further research is carried out to investigate the WTP for dental insurance and the WTP for healthcare services amongst young adults. | eng |