Medicare is intended to provide essential medical insurance for seniors over the age of 65. This probably has you wondering does Medicare cover the cost of dentures?
Unfortunately, Medicare itself doesn’t directly provide any form of dental insurance, which can be a major gap for seniors who need dentures.
Though some Medicare advantage plans cover dentures. To find the best option for dentures for seniors on Medicare we’re going to have to take a closer look at much do dentures cost with Medicare.
Does Medicare Cover Dental Care?
If you have significant dental health problems, with tooth loss, then you’re probably wondering does Medicare cover dentures or implants.
Unfortunately, Medicare doesn’t cover any form of dental care, including dental cleanings, fillings, dental implants, or dentures. The only exception is if the tooth loss was caused by damage to the jaw from some type of serious injuries such as a severe fall or a car accident.
Though some Medicare Advantage plans provide coverage for dentures They are designed to be affordable, with easy access for seniors who need dental coverage.
How Much do Dentures Cost with Medicare?
The average cost for dentures ranges between $1,500 to $3,000. However, there are differences in quality materials and esthetics which can impact the cost of dentures well over $3,500 to as much as $15,000.
This probably has you wondering does Medicare cover dentures at all. Unfortunately, they don’t, which means that without supplemental dental insurance, you’ll be left to pay for your dentures out of pocket.
Best Medicare Dental Plans for Seniors
If you’re stuck wondering if Medicare covers dentures, then you might want to look into a Medicare Advantage plan or one of the similar plans offered by UnitedHealthcare or Humana.
The best option for providing dentures for seniors on Medicare is usually to do with a Medicare Advantage plan with dental care. Though Humana and some other standalone dental plans offer some competitive low-cost options worth looking into.
Medicare Advantage Plans with Dental Coverage
Medicare Advantage is one of the most popular low-cost options for seniors who need dentures or dental implants. This might cost you as little as $4 or as much as $89 per month depending on your qualifications.
How does Medicare Advantage Denture Coverage Work?
After paying your monthly premium, most Medicare Advantage plans dental coverage, offer a 50% coinsurance or a $50 copayment. The out-of-pocket costs to you for prosthodontics like dentures can vary depending on your qualifications and any other supplemental insurance you might carry.
Standalone Dental Plan for Seniors
There are several other standalone dental insurance plans to consider to help provide seniors with dental care for a wide range of services.
UnitedHealthcare tends to offer the best rates for seniors for comprehensive dental coverage. This includes coverage for things like dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, X-rays, dental fillings, and more.
Humana is a low-cost option that might be better suited for seniors who need dentures or other advanced prosthodontics, which reduces the need for a lot of other comprehensive dental procedures.
It’s important to note that all of these programs typically only cover one set of dentures within a given window of time. So, even after receiving your new set of dentures, you need to know how to take care of your dentures.
Since you only get one set of dentures under most plans, It’s also a good idea to invest in a denture repair kit, This will help you correct any changes with your prosthodontics, and extend their lifespan.
Alternative Options to Pay for Dentures
If you’ve asked does Medicare pay for dentures, but you found that Advantage plans and standalone dental insurance policies aren’t a good fit for your budget, there are still some other options to try investigating.
Dental Lifeline Network
Dental Lifeline Network is a far-reaching nonprofit organization, that was founded to provide access to dental care for people who can’t otherwise afford it. If you’ve come up short asking will Medicare pay for dentures, they might be able to help. Though there is a lengthy application process, and benefits are distributed at the state level.
Dental Schools
Some dental schools that work with the PACE and similar government programs can offer free or low-cost dentures to seniors or other low-income individuals. Each of these programs has qualification requirements based on income. Many of which are very similar to the requirements used by Medicaid.
Medicaid
If you’ve been wondering does Medicare covers dentures, and you can’t shoulder the out-of-pocket costs, you might be a good candidate for Medicaid. The good news here is that people who qualify for Medicaid can get one free set of dentures.
However, the qualifications to receive Medicaid are often quite steep. You typically need to go through a rigorous spend-down process that reduces your assets to less than $3,000. This includes a five-year Medicare look-back period to assess all assets you may have dispensed or gifted.
Even if you do qualify for Medicaid, the process can take months before you are finally approved. So, it’s probably not the first option after you find out are dentures covered by Medicare.
The Department of Veterans Affairs
US Military veterans who qualify for medical and dental coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs can get one free pair of dentures. However, the type and amount of dental care you are eligible for will be based on your service-connected disability rating, as well as service history and other service-related health factors.
FAQ
Many people who find that Medicare doesn’t cover dentures, will turn to a Medicare Advantage Plan to help reduce the burden. You can develop a customizable plan and understand your qualifications requirements by going to https://www.medicareadvantage.com/
If you’ve been wondering does Medicare cover dentures, then you’ve probably been scouring the fine print of Medicare Part A and Part B for answers. Unfortunately, Medicare Part A is for Hospital Insurance to cover things like inpatient care in hospitals, as well as skilled nursing facility care, home health care, and even end-of-life hospice care. Whereas Medicare Part B strictly provides basic Medical Insurance.
This means that either Medicare Part A or Part B provides any direct coverage for dentures or dental implants. Unless, they are somehow considered to be a “Medical Necessity” related to some other type of medical condition or treatment for a traumatic injury.
If you’ve recently suffered severe oral trauma resulting in the loss of most or all of your teeth, you might be wondering are dentures covered by Medicare. At this time, Medicare will pay for dental services that are an integral part either of a covered procedure.
Though most of the time, these dental services are related more to dental implants, or bone tissue implants to restore sufficient structure in the jaw. An actual set of dentures themselves is typically going to fall under some other type of co-insurance such as a Medicare Advantage plan or some other type of standalone dental insurance.
