Medicare doesn’t cover routine dental procedures or equipment, such as dental cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, implants, dentures, dental plates, or other services. Medicare Part A may cover inpatient hospital care for emergency or complicated dental procedures you get in a hospital. Generally, people with Medicare have to pay the full cost for all dental services and supplies.
Medicare Advantage plans are the simplest solutions to finding the benefits you need. If you have a Medicare Supplement plan and are thus unable to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can sign up for a separate dental insurance plan from a private insurance company or find a dental discount plan that suits your needs.
Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies. Medicare approves these companies and compensates them for handling your Part A and Part B coverage. You continue to pay for Part A and Part B through Medicare, but show your Medicare Advantage plan card to your healthcare provider.
Under a Medicare Advantage plan, you have the same hospital and medical insurance brought to you under Part A and Part B. Additionally, MAPD (Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug) plans provide prescription drug plans equivalent to Medicare Part D. Many plans also have dental, vision, and hearing packages, and some offer discounts on health club memberships.
The dental care coverage you receive with a Medicare Advantage plan will help pay for your regular dental services such as cleanings and cavity fillings, diagnostic services, restorative services, endodontic, periodontal, extractive and prosthodontic care, and oral/maxillofacial surgery. Plans will also help you pay for orthodontics and equipment such as dentures.
You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan if you have Medicare Part A and Part B and live within the plan’s service area. Enrollment opens from October 15 to December 7. You will begin receiving coverage on January 1.
If you are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan without dental coverage, you can look for a new plan with dental benefits during Medicare Advantage OPen Enrollment from January 1 to March 31.
Dental Supplement Plans
While Medicare does not have a dental insurance offering, you can seek a plan from an outside provider. Many of the top-rated carriers offer dental coverage since dental care can be expensive and is necessary for the population, especially as we age.
Dental plans offer benefits to reduce your expenses toward dental care. Routine cleanings, fillings, extractions, orthodontics, and more are covered under these plans. Most providers offer individual or family dental insurance plans to suit your needs.
Some plans offer combined dental and vision plans to supplement your Medicare coverage with just one additional insurance purchase. These plans will give you the benefits of both with one monthly premium.
You could alternatively purchase a dental discount plan. These plans will give you discounted rates when you see dentists within their network, in return for the membership fees. The plan does not pay for your care but you receive the discounted rate for services with the specified providers.
Reach out to The Fussell Group Insurance Advisors today so you can find the right Medicare Advantage coverage.