Nearly 20 percent of Americans on Medicare report that they spent more than $1,000 out-of-pocket on dental services.(Photo: Shutterstock)
A new study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) outlines some serious issues raised by the lack of routine dental care coverage under the federal Medicare system.
At a time when Medicare for All has become a national issue, with many politicians promoting it as a way to provide a universal system of health care in America, the KFF study is a reminder that even relatively robust coverage systems can have serious gaps.
Medicare—no routine dental coverage
Medicare covers approximately 60 millions Americans, both older citizens and many younger Americans who have disabilities. The system will cover emergency dental care in some cases, as well as extractions due to cancer treatment or other medically covered issues. And Medicare Advantage plans can offer dental coverage options.
But basic Medicare plans do not cover routine dental health care, such as preventive care and checkups, and the KFF study looks at what that lack of coverage means for Medicare recipients.
Continue Reading for Free
Register and gain access to:
- Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
