Senate interest in Dental in Medicare Grows

Marking an important shift in Senate Democratic interest in adding a dental benefit to the Medicare program, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) tweeted that he is “working with @Sen. Sanders to push to include dental, vision and hearing coverage in the American Jobs and Families Plans.”

Additionally, new draft Senate Budget Committee documents call for inclusion of a dental benefit in the Medicare program, noting “roughly half of seniors on Medicare have not been to the dentist in the past year, and of those that do, millions of seniors spend thousands of dollars out-of-pocket to get dental care.”  A draft document sets aside approximately $234 billion over 10 years for a Medicare dental benefit.

NADP is monitoring Senate action on this issue and NADP volunteer workgroups are evaluating the potential impact of several existing proposals put forth in the House and Senate.

For more information contact NADP government affairs at advocacy@nadp.org