The ADA is asking the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to maintain the current scope of dental services under Medicare but is pushing for significant improvements in how those services are reimbursed and coordinated.
This was part of a formal response to the agency’s proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
In a Sept. 12 letter, the ADA noted CMS’ decision not to expand the list of qualifying medical conditions that make dental services eligible for Medicare coverage. Payment for dental services are currently limited to certain medical procedures in which dental care is considered “inextricably linked” to a covered procedure’s clinical success, such as cancer therapy or heart valve surgery.