As Congress examines the future of the Medicare Advantage program, ADA leaders are calling for targeted reforms to ensure that seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans receive meaningful access to dental care. In a July 22 letter to congressional subcommittees overseeing the joint hearing on Medicare Advantage, the ADA outlined several concerns and recommendations focused on transparency, competition and provider participation in Medicare Advantage.
“As [Medicare Advantage] has grown rapidly over the past two decades, millions of seniors now look to [Medicare Advantage] plans for dental coverage,” wrote ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., and Interim Executive Director Elizabeth Shapiro, D.D.S, J.D., pointing out that 97% of enrollees are in plans that advertise some form of dental benefit.
However, according to Drs. Kessler and Shapiro, these benefits often do not improve oral health outcomes. A recent study cited in the letter found that Medicare Advantage enrollees with dental coverage were no more likely to have had a dental visit in the past year than those without coverage. This study, authored by researchers with the ADA Health Policy Institute, found that restrictive characteristics of Medicare Advantage dental plans are associated with greater unmet dental need and financial barriers to care.
Source: ADA urges reforms to Medicare Advantage dental benefits / ADA News