Consider A Medicare Advantage Plan

The Motley Fool encourages older Americans to maximize the Medicare benefits that are available to them to help offset the rising healthcare costs many experience during retirement. Among the tips provided to help get the most out of Medicare, the article encourages retirees to look into Medicare Advantage. At a minimum, Medicare Advantage plans “match the coverage of Medicare Parts A and B,” and many offer additional benefits, such as dental care coverage. The article also recommends retirees sign up for Medicare on time, review prescription medication needs, and receive any free preventive care services offered through Medicare.

Many Seniors Need Dental Care But Lack Coverage

Michelle Andrews writes in her “Insuring Your Health” column in Kaiser Health News that seniors need dental care, but most lack coverage because traditional Medicare does not cover dental care. According to an analysis by the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute, over a third of low-income seniors “had untreated tooth decay between 2011 and 2014.” Some have proposed adding dental coverage to Medicare Part B to increase seniors’ access to dental care, while others advocate for seniors buying private dental coverage. Marko Vujicic, the vice president of the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute, said that private dental coverage often lacks values for seniors, because the premiums and copays exceed the benefits.

        MouthHealthy.org provides a guide to finding and paying for dental care, listing factors to consider when determining if purchasing a dental benefit plan will save money on dental care costs.

ADA Spokesperson Discusses How To Prevent Cavities

A consumer-directed video on the Business Insider website features American Dental Association spokesperson Dr. Ada Cooper discussing dental caries. “The biggest myth about cavities is that if it doesn’t hurt you don’t need to fix it,” Dr. Cooper said. “That is completely wrong.” She states that when a cavity has begun to cause pain, it usually requires “more extensive treatment” at that point. Explaining what causes dental decay and why some people may have more cavities than others, Dr. Cooper says “brushing and flossing, of course, are the best way to minimize the number of cavities that you get.” In addition, dentists have many tools available, such as fluoride rinses and treatments, to make teeth more resistant to dental decay. “The best thing to do,” Dr. Cooper says, is to have regular dental visits to ensure detection and treatment of cavities while they’re still small.

Programs Focus On Dental Care As Part Of Effort To Keep Seniors Out Of Nursing Homes

The New York Times reported that private companies are taking advantage of “a little-known Medicare program,” known as PACE, or the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, “that will pay to keep older and disabled Americans out of nursing homes.” Through the program, Medicare and Medicaid pay PACE providers on average “$76,728 a person a year, about $5,500 less than the average cost of a nursing home.” The flat payment structure encourages “organizations to invest in maintaining a patient’s health and safety to avoid big hospital bills,” and given this, “dentistry — excluded from traditional Medicare coverage — is a crucial focus.” According to the article, “Programs invest heavily to fix broken teeth and dentures to avoid costly infections or poor nutrition that can cause cascading health problems.”