Dental Benefit – Why Some People Oppose a Universal Medicare Dental Benefit
Michael Graham, senior vice president of government and public affairs for the ADA (American Dental Association) Stated: “It would be tragic if we didn’t do something for those low-income seniors,”
Graham is critical of the design of the proposals in Congress for a universal Medicare dental benefit, noting that one includes a 20% copay for preventive services that could block low-income patients from getting access to the care they would otherwise be gaining.
“Something is better than nothing, but the something [with a copay] almost equals nothing for many seniors,” Graham says. The ADA backs covering 100% of preventive services for low-income Medicare recipients, he says.