CARING FOR OLDER AMERICANS' TEETH AND GUMS IS ESSENTIAL, BUT MEDICARE GENERALLY DOESN'T COVER THAT COST
Caring for Older Americans' Teeth and Gums Is Essential, but Medicare Generally Doesn't Cover That Cost
April 19th, 16PM April 19th, 16PM(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
Frank Scannapieco,
University at Buffaloand
Ira Lamster,
Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)
(THE CONVERSATION)
C. Everett Koop, the avuncular doctor with a fluffy white beard who served as the U.S. surgeon general during the Reagan administration, was famous for his work as an innovative pediatric surgeon and the attention he paid to the HIV-AIDS crisis.
As
dentistryscholars, we believe Koop also deserves credit for something else. To help make the medical profession pay more attention to the
importance of healthy teeth and gums, he'd often say: "You are not healthy without good oral health."
Yet, more than three decades after Koop's surgeon general stint ended in 1989,
millions of Americans don't get even the most basic dentalservices, such as checkups, tooth cleanings and fillings.
Americans who
rely on the traditional Medicare programfor their health insurance get
no help from that program with paying their dental billsaside from some narrow exceptions. This group
includes some 24 million people over 65– about half of all the people who rely on Medicare for their health insurance.
'Medically necessary' exceptions
When the Medicare program was established in 1965,
almost all dental services were excludeddue to the expense and vigorous opposition from associations that represent dentists out of fear that reimbursement rates would be markedly low compared to traditional insurance plans or out-of-pocket payment.
However, interest in
including dental benefits in Medicare is on the riseat the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency responsible for the Medicare program, as well as many organizations that seek to provide dental benefits to all members of society.
The Biden administration initially considered the addition of comprehensive Medicare dental coverage as part of its
proposed Build Back Better legislation, a broad US$1.8 trillion legislative package designed to fix problems ranging from child care costs to climate change, but failed to get enough support in Congress.
Dental coverage was
eliminated from the version of the billthe House passed in 2021, in part due to cost concerns and resistance from organized dentistry due to the low reimbursement rates for medical care for patients with Medicare benefits.
In 2022, after the broader package was
blocked in the Senate, the federal government added coverage for dental treatment that was designated as "
medically necessary" for people with Medicare.
The list of circumstances that would lead patients to be eligible is short. Some examples include patients scheduled for organ transplants or who have cancer treatment requiring radiation of their jaws.
But we believe that dental care is necessary for everyone,
especially for older people.
Chew, speak, breathe
While many working Americans get limited dental coverage through their employers, those benefits are usually limited to
as little as $1,000 per year. And once they retire, Americans almost always lose even that basic coverage.
Given the importance of oral health for your overall health and quality of life, and
increasing scientific understandingof the role of poor oral health in a
wide array of chronic diseases, we believe that Medicare should include basic dental services.
A healthy mouth is essential for chewing, speaking and breathing. Being able to flash a good smile boosts self-esteem and helps maintain a sense of well-being.
Left untreated, dental diseases often result in infections that can cause severe pain. Poor oral health
can lead to hospitalization and even death. Yet, routine oral care is frequently unavailable to many Americans.
Rich Americans with Medicare coverage are almost three times more likely to receive dental care compared to those with low incomes. And almost
3 in 4 low-income people over 65don't see a dentist in a typical year.
Connected to many serious conditions
Numerous epidemiological studies have associated
atherosclerosis, a serious condition colloquially known as clogged arteries, cardiovascular disease and stroke, with
periodontal disease– chronic inflammation of the bone and gum tissues that support the teeth.
Having diabetes makes you
three times as likely to develop gum diseasebecause diabetes compromises the body's response to inflammation and infection. At the same time, treating diabetes patients for gum disease can
help control their blood sugar levels. Researchers have found that when people with diabetes get
preventive dental and periodontal care, their diabetes is better controlled and health care costs decline.
Poor oral health can also
increase the risk of contracting pneumonia, especially for patients in hospitals and nursing homes. When
patients see a dentistbefore entering the hospital, they're less likely to get pneumonia during their stay.
There is also evidence that untreated
dental problems may contribute to rheumatoid arthritisas well as
Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive impairments.
Chemo can damage your teeth
Many
cancer treatments can damage teeth, especially for older adults.
As a result, Medicare has started to reimburse for
dental bills tied to tooth decayor other oral conditions after they get chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
More than nice to have
The
history of U.S. health carehelps explain why Medicare generally won't cover the cost of dental and gum treatment.
Doctors and dentists are educated separately, and
doctors learn very littleabout dental conditions
and treatments when they're in medical school.
Most dental electronic health recordsaren't linked to medical systems, hindering comprehensive care and delivery of dental care to those in need.
At the same time, medical insurance and dental insurance have evolved to serve very different functions. Medical insurance was designed specifically to cover large, unpredictable expenses, while dental insurance was intended to mainly fund predictable and lower-cost preventive care.
While protection from catastrophic medical costs has always been perceived as a necessity, coverage of dental services was conceived as a benefit that's mostly nice to have.
But that's an outdated idea disconnected from a large body of scientific evidence.
Medicare Advantage plans
Until Medicare expands coverage to include preventive dental services for everyone, alternative plans such as
Medicare Advantage, through which the federal government contracts with private insurers to provide Medicare benefits, serve as a stopgap.
In 2016, only 21% of beneficiaries in traditional Medicare had purchased a stand-alone dental plan, whereas
roughly two-thirds of Medicare Advantage enrolleeshad at least
some dental benefitsthrough their coverage. However, these plans vary greatly in the procedures that they cover.
The costs of this hole in Medicare coverage is high: 1 in 5 Americans with Medicare – including many with little disposable income – are spending
at least $1,000 a year on dental care.
It seems that Dr. Koop was onto something – you can't be healthy without good oral health. Adding basic dental benefits to Medicare would likely help many older Americans to live happier and healthier lives, and at the same time potentially reduce overall health care costs.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here:
2024-04-19T13:09:30Z dg43tfdfdgfd