Dentures For Seniors On Medicaid

When Does Medicaid Cover Dental Care

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Medicaid is required by federal law to provide regular and comprehensive dental services to children and young adult enrollees under age 21.

For adults aged 21 and older, Medicaid is not required to provide dental care, giving state Medicaid programs the option of determining whether to provide dental coverage. As a result, Medicaid dental coverage for adults varies from state to state, sometimes dramatically.

Dental Care: Why It’s Important

It is important for babies, children, and adults to see a dentist at least twice a year. The earlier children see a dentist, the healthier their gums and teeth will stay for their whole life. Children should begin seeing a dentist by age 1, even if they do not have teeth yet.

Problems with teeth and gums can be avoided by seeing a dentist early in life and on a regular basis. Brushing, flossing and avoiding sugary foods and drinks can help with healthy teeth and gums.

If a tooth problem does occur, it can have serious effects on your overall health. Tooth problems can also cause problems like not being able to bite and chew food, problems in school, or missing school because of pain. Also, unhealthy teeth can cause problems with speaking.

Does Medicare Pay For Dental Care

Medicare doesnt cover most routine or preventative dental care. There are unique situations in which Medicare will cover dental. These include:

• Dental services that are critical to a larger procedure like facial reconstruction after an accident.
• Tooth extraction that is needed to prepare for radiation treatment.
• Oral exams that are to prepare for a kidney transplant or heart valve replacement.

If you have any other life-altering condition that requires dental work, then you may be able to appeal for medicare coverage with the right endorsements from a physician. All insurance appeals are determined on a case-by-case basis.

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Dental Services For Medicaid Beneficiaries At Two Local Nonprofits

Seniors on Medicaid in Washington state know how difficult it is to find a dentist to care for them. In April, the Seattle Times shined a light on the issue when it exposed a budget deficit at the University of Washingtons School of Dentistry caused in large part because 65 percent of the patients the school sees are on Medicaid, which doesnt cover the cost of the services.

But one dentist and two Seattle nonprofit organizations are bucking the trend by providing dental care for seniors on Medicaid. The program involves Dr. Allison Jacobs LeGendre, a veteran dentist who works with hundreds of these seniors at Foss Home and Village and at Providence ElderPlace, both in Seattle.

LeGendre, who is affiliated with the UW and has had a long career as a dentist and dental products designer, is trying to change the way seniors receive dental care. As a Foss dental services employee, she is able to provide comprehensive dental carecleanings, extractions, fillings and denturesto meet the needs of a population that otherwise has a very hard time finding dental care.

Few dentists serve Medicaid patients because the reimbursements are so low. And those who do almost always cap the number of Medicaid patients theyll see. Luckily for the residents at Foss and the participants at ElderPlace, they have a place to go.

For more information, contact Providence ElderPlace at 206-320-5325 or Foss at 206-364-1300.

Contributor Cynthia Flash owns media relations firm Flash Media Services.

Best For Special Needs: Cigna

Cigna

If you have special dental needs as a senior on Medicare, then Cigna is a good choice. They offer special needs plans and an increased range of services for customers who need them.

• Some plans don’t include prescription coverage

We chose Cigna as the best for special needs because of their personalized plan offerings. While other Medicare Advantage Plans limit coverage to individuals with special health conditions or care needs, Cigna offers special needs plans that include access to a wider range of specialists, along with regular health assessment .

Depending on your health care needs, Cigna offers an increased range of services, whether that is more intensive treatments, personalized care treatments, or more individual specialist attention.

Based on a review of Cignas Model of Care, the National Committee for Quality Assurance has approved Cigna to offer Special Needs Plans until 2021 . Annual NCQA approval is required for this plan type.

Cigna offers a health risk assessment that can be used to develop personalized care plans with Cigna Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees and their primary care doctor. The HRA also helps match each enrollee with the health and wellness services that best fit their needs.

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Choose A Medicare Advantage Plan

Some include benefits like routine dental, vision, hearing and prescription drug coverage. There are quite a few plans to choose from with a wide range of premiums and coverage options.

Be sure to consider your current and future needs. For example, if you have dentures or think you may need them in the future, look for a Medicare Advantage plan that covers dentures.

Which Medicare Advantage Plans Cover Dentures

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Which Dental Chains Accept Medicaid

Even though it may be difficult to find dentists who accept Medicaid patients, it is encouraging to note that some of the largest dental provider organizations in the country contract with state Medicaid programs. This includes Liberty Dental Plan and DentaQuest. Aspen Dental practices do not accept Medicaid patients.

Medicaid Denture Coverage By State

The state where you live is the primary factor determining whether Medicaid covers tooth-supported dentures in 2022 because the dental insurance component applies with these services.

Medicaid is a federal program, and each state has the latitude in deciding what benefits to support for oral care, what to name its program, and which private companies will administer claims.

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How Much Does A Medicare Advantage Plan With Dental Coverage Cost Out

Typically, copayment or coinsurance for most Medicare Advantage Plan dental coverage, such as 50% coinsurance or a $50 copayment. Also, many plans cap the annual coverage amount. That being said, plans are different between providers and even between plans offered by the same provider. You should check the costs associated with your dental coverage before committing to a plan.

Dont Qualify For Free Dentures Consider A Discount Dental Plan

If you dont qualify to receive free dentures, you still have other options that can help you get affordable dentures. One of the most affordable options is discount dental plans. These dental plans are a great dental plan option for seniors who dont have dental insurance and want to save money on dental care. Discount dental plans are different from insurance, and they dont have premiums, copays, and waiting periods while still offering dental services at discounted prices. Contact DentalSave to learn more about dental plans and how they can help you save money on dentures.

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Does Medicare Advantage Cover Dentures

The good news is, yes. Most Medicare Advantage plans provide dental coverage. Some pay only for routine dental care while others allow for more extensive dental services, including the potential for dentures.

In 2021, 76 percent of people in Medicare Advantage plans that covered extensive dental services had coverage for periodontics or prosthodontics, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. Periodontics is the prevention and treatment of gum and tooth diseases. Prosthodontics is the branch of dentistry that specializes in making replacements for missing or damaged teeth, and that may include dentures, dental bridges, implants and other false teeth.

Typically, plans that cover dentures generally limit coverage to one set every five years. But cost sharing, meaning what you pay out of pocket and what insurance covers, varies widely. In 2021, plans that charged a fixed-dollar copayment ranged from $0 to $500, while plans that charged coinsurance, which is a percentage of the cost, typically charged members 50 percent to 70 percent of the cost for in-network providers.

Most plans put annual caps on extensive dental services, averaging $1,300 in 2021, but 8 percent of the plans had a coverage cap of $2,000 to $5,000. This cap usually didnt apply to routine and preventive dental care.

With such a wide range of coverage levels, its important to research how each plan covers dentures.

Medicaid Enrollees Need Access To Dental Vision And Hearing Services

Fixing gaps in coverage only in Medicare without making the corresponding changes in Medicaid would exclude many people with significant unmet needs. Providing access to a full range of preventive services and treatment for non-elderly adults with Medicaid coverage could prevent more serious conditions later in life as well as the need for more invasive, costly procedures.

As shown in Figure 4, while a significant share of traditional Medicare enrollees aged 65 and over report having unmet dental needs due to cost, the share is almost two-thirds higher among Medicaid enrollees under age 65, who are low income by definition. While Medicaid enrollees under the age of 21 are eligible for dental care as part of the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefit, once young adults turn 21, many no longer have access to treatment options. Adult Medicare beneficiaries under age 65 with disabilities many of whom also receive Medicaid face disproportionate challenges in obtaining needed dental care. Low-income seniors enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid also have higher rates of unmet dental needs due to cost than other Medicare enrollees.

Congress would need to make various design decisions in adding dental, vision, and hearing benefits to Medicaid. They include: how the federal government and states would share the cost what benefit standards the federal government would set and whether Congress would permit nominal cost sharing.

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Dentures are covered under Medicare Advantage plans or Medicare Part C. Medicare Advantage plans are supplements to traditional Medicare plans, known as Medicare Parts A and B. These supplemental plans are optional and open to seniors aged 65 and older, as well as those with a qualifying disability.

Will Medicaid Cover My Dental Providers

It is likely that many Medicaid beneficiaries struggle to find a dentist who takes Medicaid. In fact, the American Dental Association found that only 38% of dentists accepted Medicaid in 2015. Even if a particular dentist takes Medicaid, that doesnt mean they participate in a specific Medicaid plan.

And a 2021 analysis by the ADA found that although the majority of dentists in some states are technically enrolled with the state Medicaid program, a significant number of them do not actually treat patients with Medicaid or have very few active patients with Medicaid.

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Medicaid And Medicare Enrollees Need Dental Vision And Hearing Benefits

More than 88 million adults in the United States are enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid. Most do not have comprehensive health coverage for vision, dental, or hearing benefits, often leaving them without the care they need to protect their health and quality of life. Congress increasingly appears to be considering adding coverage for these services in Medicare as it should. But in doing so, it should also guarantee access to the same benefits for low-income adults with Medicaid coverage.

Lack of access to dental, vision, and hearing care can pose serious risks for overall health. The absence of routine care can delay diagnosis of some serious health conditions, leading to complications and more costly treatments later. For example, researchers have found that lack of dental coverage in Medicaid leads to additional emergency department visits dental-related emergency department visits increased by 32 percent among adult Medicaid enrollees in California after the state eliminated dental coverage in 2009. Even when not associated with other health concerns, dental, hearing, and vision problems can decrease individuals quality of life and impede participation in their communities.

“Ensuring that Medicaid as well as Medicare enrollees can access these benefits could reduce disparities in access to care and prevent more serious health problems.”

Upcoming Changes To Dental Services In Florida Medicaid

In 2016, the Florida Legislature directed the Agency for Health Care Administration to enroll most Medicaid recipients into dental plans. Recipients will receive a dental plan based on the below schedule. The schedule is separated into phases by the recipients county location.

Recipients will begin to receive letters soon. They will be mailed out about 45 days before each phase starts. For example, recipients will begin to receive letters for Phase 1 in the middle of October. For more information, please click on the following link:

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Dentures On Dental Insurance

• Health insurance: If you have a full dental insurance policy, chances are that it will cover at least part of the cost for your dentures. The first thing you need to do is give your dental company a call. The number to dial is likely on the back of your dental insurance card.
• Medicare: Dental is not covered by Medicare. But you might be able to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan to get supplementary coverage. Weâll talk more about this option in the section for seniors and folks with disabilities.
• Medicaid: If you are eligible for federally-funded health care, then depending on what state you live in, you may get help paying for your dentures. Have a look at the table below to see if your state covers at least part of the cost for dentures.

As you can see, many states actually cover some kind of coverage when it comes to dentures and Medicaid.

If you think you might make less than the Federal Poverty Level, then you might be eligible for state-run programs, and that could save you some substantial costs.

What Kinds Of Dentures Are Covered By Medicare Advantage

There are two types of dentures. Removable dentures are available in either a complete set of teeth or partial dentures, which cover gaps in the mouth. Implant dentures are surgically implanted in the jaw, with a titanium root and a cap that screws on top.

Medicare Advantage plans may cover both kinds of dentures or only one. Most applicants are advised to talk to a dentist who can determine which type of dentures are best for the individual and offer guidance toward the right plan.

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Best Medicare Dental Plans For Seniors

Find Cheap Medicare Plans in Your Area

Original Medicare does not provide comprehensive dental care, and Medicare Part A will only cover select dental services that require hospitalization. For most types of dental care, such as cleanings, X-rays or root canals, youll need dental coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan, a standalone dental plan or Medicaid.

• Best Medicare plans for dental coverage

How Could Medicare Dental Coverage Change In 2022

In 2021, a bill was introduced in the House to add dental coverage to Medicare Part B.

Known as the Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act, the idea has support from the White House as part of President Bidens Build Back Better agenda. Specifically, the fiscal year 2022 budget proposal for the U.S. government indicates the intent for improving access to dental, hearing, and vision coverage in Medicare.

This is not the first time it has been proposed to offer dental coverage to Medicare beneficiaries, and its an important health care issue. About 47% of those on Medicare dont have dental coverage.

The legislative process will determine if Medicare benefits are expanded in 2022 to include dental. However, there is political incentive because adding dental, vision and hearing is cheaper than other proposed Medicare extensions, such as adding nursing home coverage.

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A Permanent Solution With A Big Impact

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