With Deal On Prescription Drugs, Oral Health Advocates Urge Savings To Go Toward Inclusion Of Medicare Dental Benefit

CareQuest Institute President and CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan: “By closing this giant gap in our Medicare system, we’ll be building a path to a healthier future for millions of people who have been left behind by a broken health system.” 

Boston, MA — With Congressional Democrats announcing an agreement to lower prescription drug prices, and a reported plan to use at least some of the funds to go toward paid family leave policies, oral health advocates today urged Congress to include Medicare dental benefits as part of the Build Back Better reconciliation package.  

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a national nonprofit championing a more equitable future through quality oral health for all, urged Congressional leaders to utilize the prescription drug savings - expected to be in the billions of dollars annually - to include Medicare dental benefits. Expanding access to quality oral health for seniors and people with disabilities is key to improving health outcomes and reducing the deep racial disparities that exist in our health system. It will also reduce costs in the long-term through better management of chronic diseases and a reduction in emergency department use for preventable oral health conditions.  

Additional facts about oral health and Medicare include: 

• Poor oral health is directly linked to conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illness, and even Alzheimer’s – all diseases that particularly impact our older citizens and put them at even greater risk of COVID-19.   
• Of the 60 million Medicare beneficiaries, more than two-thirds don’t have any dental coverage at all
• Nearly half of all Medicare patients haven’t visited a dentist within the past year. Those numbers are closer to 70 percent for Black, Hispanic and lower-income Medicare beneficiaries.  
• One in five rural seniors haven’t seen a dentist in the past five years.   
• One study estimated $65 billion in medical savings over ten years simply by providing dental and periodontal treatment through Medicare. 

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health CEO and President Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan issued the following statement:  
“This pandemic has presented us with enormous public health challenges, but it has also given us the opportunity to rewrite the book and recover stronger, healthier, and more equitably than ever before. Improving access to oral health is foundational to that work. 

We recognize that Congress is weighing a number of important programs to include in the Build Back Better plan and we encourage policymakers to affirm that oral health care is health care. A deal on prescription drug pricing gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally include dental coverage under Medicare. By closing this giant gap in our Medicare system, we’ll be building a path to a healthier future for millions of people  who have been left behind by a broken health system. We urge Congress and President Biden to act.” 

Direct Media Inquiries to:   
Kristin LaRoche   
klaroche@carequest.org   
857-275-5038   

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About CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health® is a national nonprofit championing a more equitable future where every person can reach their full potential through excellent health. We do this through our work in grantmaking, research, health improvement programs, policy and advocacy, and education as well as our leadership in dental benefits, care delivery, and innovation advancements. We collaborate with thought leaders, health care providers, patients, and local, state, and federal stakeholders to accelerate oral health care transformation and create a system designed for everyone. To learn more, visit carequest.org.