U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., introduced legislation that would provide Medicare beneficiaries additional dental coverage for certain conditions and procedures.
Medicare largely excludes coverage for dental services. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, more than a third of people being treated for cancer develop oral complications that can interfere with their treatment.
The Medicare Medically Necessary Dental Care Act would provide coverage under Medicare part B for medically necessary dental procedures for patients with certain health conditions, including prosthetic heart valve replacements, organ transplants or cancer.