The US population is aging, which means the number of Medicare beneficiaries is growing. Yet Medicare does not include a dental benefit, leaving millions of older adults without adequate oral health coverage or care.
A new CareQuest Institute for Oral Health report, based on a nationally representative survey of 5,320 adults, shows a strong consensus that a dental benefit should be added to all Medicare plans.
Key findings include:
- Nearly all of those surveyed (94%) supported adding a dental benefit to Medicare.
- Adding a dental benefit to Medicare has wide support from all political parties, medical and dental insurance groups, and consumers of all races.
- Those with unmet oral health needs are more likely to express interest in adding a dental benefit to Medicare.
The survey, conducted early in 2021, examined consumer attitudes, experiences, and behaviors related to oral health.
You may also be interested in:
- Dental Insurance Is Out of Reach for Many, a visual report that explores Americans’ of lack access to dental care, and the loss of insurance for many during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Oral Disease Is Common. Access to Care Is Not., a visual report that illustrates how oral health care is inequitably distributed among Americans.
- The Burden of Out-of-Pocket Expenditures for Dental Care on Medicare-Enrolled Elderly and Disabled, a report that compares costs associated with different types of Medicare coverage and reveals a high burden of out-of-pocket spending for Medicare enrollees.
