It's important to maintain good oral health as you age. It reduces the risk of lost or chipped teeth and keeps your smile bright and beautiful. Unfortunately, many seniors are surprised to learn that traditional Medicare offers no coverage for dental care.
Most dental care services are not covered by Medicare Part A or Part B, as both of these only cover services that are deemed medically necessary. Only very severe dental emergencies such as life-threatening infections will be covered. Routine checkups, cleanings, cosmetic dentistry and preventative care are not covered by traditional Medicare.
Medicare Advantage plans, which are offered by private insurers as part of Medicare Part C, often offer dental coverage options. This covers the majority of in-network costs for your dental care and includes coverage for cleanings and screenings. If you're interested in switching to Medicare Advantage for dental coverage, here's what you need to know.
Medicare Advantage Plans Have A Provider Network
While traditional Medicare can be used at any provider that accepts Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans are structured like private insurance plans with in-network and out-of-network coverage.
Before you make the switch, it's important to make sure that your doctor is in the Medicare Advantage plan's network. You'll also need to be mindful that you select in-network hospitals and dental providers in order to receive full coverage from your plan. While this may seem inconvenient, the reason why Medicare Advantage plans have a provider network is so that they can negotiate costs with the providers and pass the savings on to you in the form of expanded benefits and potentially reduced premiums.
Additional Coverage Can Carry Higher Premiums
If you select a Medicare Advantage plan with dental and vision benefits, it's likely that you will have to pay more in premiums every month to compensate for the increase in your medical costs. However, this needs to be weighed against the fact that traditional Medicare has no coverage for dental services – you'll be paying out of pocket for every dental service you require.
It is most often worth the extra cost to have access to free or low-cost preventative screenings, cleanings and cosmetic dentistry. It allows your dental provider to catch oral health issues earlier when they are less expensive to treat. This keeps your overall dental costs lower over time when you only need inexpensive fillings or veneers to maintain your healthy smile instead of expensive dental implants.
Maintaining good dental health is an important part of your overall health and well-being. Dental coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan that covers routine dental services and preventative care will help keep your smile looking great as you age.
Contact a company like Senior Care Insurance Services for more information.
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