Should Medicare and Medicaid Cover Dental Care?
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health’s annual State of Oral Health Equity in America survey asked over 9,000 adults about visiting a dentist and about dental benefits included in Medicaid and Medicare. Key findings from battleground states in the 2024 election include:
In Michigan
- 67% of adults saw a dentist in the past year, and 18% of adults did not have dental coverage.
- 94% of surveyed adults agree or strongly agree that Medicare should cover dental care.
In Ohio
- 67% of adults saw a dentist in the past year, and 19% of adults did not have dental coverage.
- 96% of surveyed adults agree or strongly agree that Medicare should cover dental care.
In Pennsylvania
- 67% of adults saw a dentist in the past year, and 26% of adults did not have dental coverage.
- 94% of surveyed adults agree or strongly agree that Medicare should cover dental care.
You may also be interested in:
- Take Action for Oral Health, this collection of tools and resources makes it easy to engage policymakers and advocate for improved dental coverage in Medicare and Medicaid.
- Dental Coverage for Seniors is Wildly Popular. Why Don’t Candidates Discuss It?, a USA Today article explores why the issue of dental coverage has gained little traction in health care policy despite the need among many Americans.
- Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Checker, an interactive tool for policymakers, administrators, and advocates to easily understand where a given state’s Medicaid adult dental benefits package falls on a continuum from no dental benefits to extensive benefits.
