Broader Medicare Dental Coverage Gets Push From Biden Team

The Biden administration, spurred by House and Senate Democrats, is moving to expand the “medically necessary” circumstances under which Medicare will cover dental services.

While federal law excludes Medicare coverage of routine dental services, the proposal, if finalized, would allow reimbursement for oral and dental care needed to treat more types of Medicare-covered ailments, injuries, and chronic diseases, like diabetes and heart disease.

It would also provide a meaningful consolation prize for lawmakers and patient advocates whose bid for a comprehensive Medicare dental benefit died last year with the Democrats’ unsuccessful Build Back Better Act.

Heartened by ...