John Tyson
The Costly Reality of Dental Care for Seniors
One of the Pennsylvania residents that testified of the effects of high costs of dental care is Courtney Sands.Sands required two molars as root canal and crown to address a painful infection that was experienced.She was forced to pay several thousands of dollars despite having dental insurance for a doctor to attend to her.Sands has incurred expenses of over $6,000 on her credit card which was only partially reimbursed by her insurance companies.To many this is very typical.The availability and affordability of dental services remain a challenge for many adults in the United States, especially the elderly.A majority of people over 18 years of age do not practice dental check-ups regularly.Movement of people from rural to urban centres in search of jobs as well as Urbanisation results in those in rural areas, (mostly due to poor health) being unable, to access health care facilities.In some cases they cause more serious health issues when the dental problems are not treated.However, dental coverage has not received much attention from political leaders even though it is one of the most preferred topics by the public.
Popularity of Dental Coverage for Seniors
Its scarcity is quite shocking since it is a basic need that people always require, especially those living in urban cities.The idea of increasing dental care especially for the elderly is one that is supported by an overwhelming percentage of respondents.In a poll done, 90% of the voters supported the inclusion of dental in Medicare.This support is partisan in nature, although almost all Democratic voters are in support, as are 85% of Republicans.However, Vice President Kamala Harris and the ex-President, Donald Trump have not incorporated dental coverage as an important policy agenda issue.They are interested in and often discuss issues such as the price of insulin or the fate of the Affordable Health Care.However, neither candidate demonstrates an adequate concern of access to dental care across their turn on presenting their agenda.It is clear that there is a requirement to obtain dental coverage.From the nonprofit organization aimed at promoting oral health equity, CareQuest, it is estimated that about 69 million American adults, had no dental coverage or dental check-ups in the previous year.Some, for instance, faced the loss of coverage when states reduced the Medicaid expansion that was made during the COVID-19 outbreak.This program, also called Medicare, has provisions for seniors’ healthcare needs, as it only provides cover for dental services in cases of emergencies.A study on Medicare conducted by the KFF noted that about 46% of Medicare beneficiaries had not seen a dentist in the previous one year as of 2018.
Dental Care: An Overlooked Priority in Political Platforms
It is surprising that dental care has received little coverage in political campaigns despite the fact that many people seem to support it.According to CareQuest, in a poll realized to rank the most pressing health issues that voters would want their leaders to address, expansion of Medicare to incorporate dental was second only to the reduction of the cost of prescription drugs.It scored higher as compared to abortion rights, Obamacare, mental health care, and even the price of insulin.”This issue has really been on the back burner,” notes Melissa Burroughs, director of public policy at CareQuest.Despite its significance, the topic of dental coverage does not come up often within political discourse or campaigns.Evidently the general populace has a concern for dental benefit, but it appears politicians care little about it and instead focus on other areas they consider more important.These additional benefits can also be limited even in private Medicare Advantage plans that do offer dental, hearing, and vision benefits.The traditional Medicare received by seniors does not cover dental services; however, beneficiaries may buy dental insurance on their own.In 2019, nearly 50% of Medicare beneficiaries remained without dental benefits.
Public Support for Medicare Dental Coverage
Similar to all the aforementioned states, the support for Medicare dental coverage remains high in battleground states. The surveys where we have received response from the residents of the selected states include Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania respondents and more than 90% of respondents are in support of Medicare addition of dental benefits. Still, neither of the big political parties has treated it as a core issue of its electoral campaigns. The 2024 Democratic Party platform does not explicitly deny adding dental, vision, and hearing benefits to Medicare but it does not recommend it either. However, it presents little information on how to fund these new services, besides talk about the rich’s taxation. The leader of the GOP, on the other hand, does not mention dental care or oral health at all in their party’s platform. It goes without saying that for individuals such as Sands, who live in rural Pennsylvania, the cost of dental care is always an issue. Nevertheless, with steady employment for both her and her husband, paying over $6,000 out-of-pocket required cutting other areas of the family’s living expenses. Of course, many others in her community are not that lucky. Sands said people she knows have gone for years without visiting the dentist, even when they have a toothache. Because of such mishaps, these people cannot afford medical care, and they are forced to endure their suffering.
Legislative Proposals to Address Dental Gaps
Lack of proper dental care has not been an issue that has earned political campaigns but there are different bills that are still being formulated to tackle these issues.The Biden administration has suggested allowing states to expand ACA plans to include adult dental benefits.At the moment, the ACA requires the provision of dental care for children only but does not extend to adults.In Congress, there are two pieces of legislation that are focused on increasing dental care.Explaining the Comprehensive Dental Care Reform Act of 2024 introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, the program seeks to expand dental cover through Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Administration.It also aims at raising the number of production of dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists in the country.A similar bill has been proposed for the House by the member of congress, Debbie Dingell from Michigan.These two bills seek to solve a problem of lack of dental care for millions of Americans across the nation.But both are not on the agenda at the moment and no cost for the enactment of the legislation has been provided.State and national dental associations such as the ADA endorse increase in the cover and access for vulnerable groups such as poor elderly persons.The ADA has endorsed bills that call for Medicaid to offer extensive dental insurance and grant programs for placing dentists in shortage areas.
The Urgent Need for Action
Nobody should underestimate the importance of oral hygiene for the entire body. The decline in overall oral health has consequences where if left untreated, such illnesses as infections, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes result. In a survey, seniors reported that the problem of access to dental care is very urgent, and they need affordable dental services to remain healthy. Sands is relieved that she was able to get credit, so she could receive the necessary care. But she knows that many others are not as lucky as her to have caring parents and a good home. Unfortunately, mouth disease treatment is something that many cannot afford and so they are left to suffer. Puffy gums are also something he has encountered, Let me know what you think Sands says. ‘They are suffering, but they can do nothing.’ As the discussion on healthcare reform goes on, dentistry simply has to be made more of a priority. Adding dental as part of Medicare would affect the lives of millions of seniors positively and go a long way in filling a gap that is apparent in the American healthcare system. The high level of support that the public has shown for such a change means that this is a topic that cannot be left unaddressed.
