Older Americans are beginning to realize the connection between oral health and overall health. In fact, a significant amount of these seniors want dental coverage as part of Medicare. They want to receive adequate treatment for any dental issue, including routine dental examinations and cleaning. However, they are against the annual limits and limited benefits of Medicare coverage.
Furthermore, the infographic shows the number of adults who want dental coverage included in Medicare and why they prefer dental benefits compared to other types of coverage. The infographic also shows what older adults feel about the current Medicare coverage, their concerns, and the types of improvements they expect to see.
Not every older adult is completely aware of what the type of coverage their Medicare policy provides. According to the 2017 public opinion poll conducted by University of Muchigan, nearly 51 percent of seniors are unaware that routine dental care is not covered by their Medicare. Regardless, most of these seniors want adequate dental care as it is important to their overall health and general wellbeing.
In addition, a large percentage of older adults want to age in place compared to living in nursing or senior care homes. Though, they believe that healthy mouth and bodies are needed to achieve this. Thankfully, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015 was enacted to promote aging in place by connecting seniors with necessary social services such as elder abuse protection, caregivers, dental care, meals, and more. The infographic also looks at how routine oral health screenings can help prevent emergencies and save costs.
