# Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021

Right now, Medicare doesn't cover dental care, eyeglasses, or hearing aids for most seniors—even though these are things many older people desperately need. This bill would change that by adding these three benefits to Medicare coverage.

If this bill became law, seniors on Medicare would finally get help paying for things like dental work, eye exams and glasses, and hearing aids. Instead of paying hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket for a root canal, new glasses, or a hearing aid, Medicare would cover at least part of these costs. This matters because many seniors skip these services because they can't afford them, which can lead to serious health problems. Poor dental health can cause infections and heart disease, untreated hearing loss can lead to isolation and cognitive decline, and vision problems make it harder to stay independent and safe.

The bill essentially expands what Medicare considers essential healthcare to include these three areas that have been left out for decades. For seniors living on fixed incomes, this could be life-changing—it would mean actually being able to afford to hear their grandchildren, chew their food properly, and see clearly. The main question would be how much Medicare would actually pay for these services and whether there would be limits on coverage, but the core idea is straightforward: treating teeth, eyes, and ears as part of basic healthcare for people over 65, just like the rest of the world's developed countries already do.

Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021

Doggett, Lloyd

Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care. Coverage includes (1) routine dental cleanings and exams, basic and major dental services, emergency dental care, and dentures; (2) routine eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses; and (3) routine hearing exams, hearing aids, and exams for hearing aids. With respect to such care, the bill establishes special payment rules, limitations, and coinsurance requirements.