FAQ's About Dental Coverage

We have been hearing a lot of questions lately about how Medicare covers dental services. Let's clear things up!

Typically, Original Medicare A and B does not cover routine dental care. Because of this, you are generally responsible for the full cost of your dental care. There are a few exceptions, but they are very extreme situations.

For example, if you suffer an accident that results in damage to the jaw, Medicare would cover the medical reconstruction of the jaw. Or if you have a disease involving the jaw, Original Medicare might cover a tooth extraction that is directly caused by the disease.

The good news is you may be able to get dental coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan, or through a standalone dental plan.

If you want to be able to combine coverage for routine dental care with other medical and hospital coverage, you can get that with a Medicare Advantage plan. If you want to keep Original Medicare, consider adding a Medigap plan with dental benefits or a separate dental plan.

For emergency and complicated dental procedures that require a hospital stay, Medicare Part A covers the hospital stay, but not the dental procedure.

Medicare Advantage plans can include routine dental benefits such as exams, cleanings, fillings, crowns and bridges. Note, dentures are NOT covered under Original Medicare. If you think you may need dentures, you may want to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or separate dental plan that specifically offers denture coverage.

If you are in an Advantage plan and want to know more about your specific coverage for dental benefits, call an agent today!

Bill Gay: