# Medicare Dental Coverage Act of 2021

Right now, Medicare doesn't cover dental care—not cleanings, not fillings, not root canals. This bill would change that by adding dental benefits to Medicare starting in 2025.

Here's what would be covered: preventive services like oral exams, cleanings, X-rays, and fluoride treatments would be covered at 80 percent (meaning Medicare pays 80 percent and you pay 20 percent). You'd be limited to two exams and two cleanings per year. The bill also covers "basic treatments" like tooth fillings, extractions, and gum disease care at 80 percent coverage. More expensive "major treatments" like crowns, bridges, and root canals would start with only 10 percent coverage in 2025, gradually increasing to 50 percent by 2029. Additionally, dentures would be covered once every five years under this new dental benefit.

The bill specifies that dentists and licensed oral health professionals (like dental hygienists and therapists) can provide these services. Medicare would pay them based on rates similar to what Medicaid, the military's TRICARE program, and private insurance companies pay for the same services. The bill also sets aside $20 million per year from 2022 through 2027 to help Medicare implement these new dental benefits.

This would primarily affect Medicare beneficiaries—people 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities. For the first time, they'd have access to dental coverage through Medicare, though they'd still pay a portion of costs, especially for major dental work in the early years.

Medicare Dental Coverage Act of 2021

Kelly, Robin L.

Medicare Dental Coverage Act of 2021 This bill expands Medicare coverage to include dentures and dental and oral health services, in accordance with specified limitations. Covered services include basic and major treatments (as determined by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services) as well as specified preventive and screening services.