Dental coverage for seniors is wildly popular. Why don't candidates discuss it?

[Northeast Agent]

Dental coverage for seniors is wildly popular. Why don't candidates discuss it?

Nearly half of older adults don't regularly visit a dentist. Voters overwhelmingly support adding dental benefits to Medicare.

www.usatoday.com

About nine in 10 voters support adding a dental benefit to Medicare, according to a poll of 1,000 registered voters commissioned this summer by the nonprofit CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, which is focused on access and equity, and the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network. The issue has nearly universal support among Democratic voters and 85% support from Republicans.

Neither Harris nor Trump mentions extending dental coverage in their platforms or major speeches. The candidates' priorities in their Sept. 10 debate included the price of groceries and the future of the Affordable Care Act, but neither has consistently advocated for dental care or oral health.

 

[axeman462]

There's not enough money in it for them to talk about it

 

[InsuranceGuy29]

Dental coverage for seniors is wildly popular. Why don't candidates discuss it?

Nearly half of older adults don't regularly visit a dentist. Voters overwhelmingly support adding dental benefits to Medicare.

www.usatoday.com

About nine in 10 voters support adding a dental benefit to Medicare, according to a poll of 1,000 registered voters commissioned this summer by the nonprofit CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, which is focused on access and equity, and the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network. The issue has nearly universal support among Democratic voters and 85% support from Republicans.

Neither Harris nor Trump mentions extending dental coverage in their platforms or major speeches. The candidates' priorities in their Sept. 10 debate included the price of groceries and the future of the Affordable Care Act, but neither has consistently advocated for dental care or oral health.

There's no money for it. The Medicare fund is struggling already as it is now. Dental services are WILDLY expensive. One implant...one...will cost upwards of $4,000-$6,000. That's a HUGE burden to put on the Medicare fund/taxpayers.

Cheap dental insurance is the most logical route. Even if they added it to Medicare, it would create huge inflation in another area, and people would most definitely need to add private coverage anyway.

This is more pipedream policy that omits the fact that things cost actual real money, but it sounds great in a campaign season when you're promising "free" shit for votes.

People with Medicare Advantage have very good dental, and people on original Medicare can get decent policies for only $30-$35/month. For the inflation this would cause, it's terrible and unnecessary policy.

 

[Millwood]

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/06/1249406440/social-security-medicare-congress-fix-boomers-benefits#:~:text=The%20report%20from%20Social%20Security,lawmakers%20adopt%20changes%20before%20then.

 

[Millwood]

Social Security Trust fund is actually admitting benefits will be cut 20% in 2034.
But we all want more free chit...........
2nd largest expenditure is interest........
I'd say we're broke.

 

[LostDollar]

Social Security Trust fund is actually admitting benefits will be cut 20% in 2034.
But we all want more free chit...........
2nd largest expenditure is interest........
I'd say we're broke.

Last I checked, my Medicare health insurance and its benefits are not free.

 

[DS4]

Last I checked, my Medicare health insurance and its benefits are not free.

Do you still have 3 private dental plans?

 

[MedicareWAA]

Last I checked, my Medicare health insurance and its benefits are not free.

They're greatly subsidized by taxpayers, to put it mildly. You pay $175 a month for your part B, and the government is paying another $600 (more with MA). And that overlooks Part A and Part D, with the latter being paid 70% by the government.

 

[Newby]

Because they would have to raise a huge amount of taxes to pay for it. That's not the kind of stuff that wins elections.

 

[LostDollar]

" ..... people on original Medicare can get decent policies for only $30-$35/month. "

Caveat, not an agent.

I haven't shopped dental plans for a few years, and I am not going to now for a response to this thread, but that seems like a stretch to me.

I would expect a $30-$35 a month dental plan to have limited benefits or limited networks, or both.